Once Upon A Time: Storybrooke: Book 1: The Curse
by YoshiSkittlez
Summary: <html><head></head>What if Emma Swan didn't exist? How would the curse be broken then? Would the citizens of Storybrooke have to work even closer together than before? Will deals have to be made, secrets to be kept and angst to be had? This is an AU where I answer just those questions and more! Make sure to take a look at the Prologue I have completed as that will answer many different questions.</html>
1. Chapter 1: Welcome to Storybrooke

**Author's Note:**

**Well well well dearies, as promised here is the first 'book' in the (hopefully) long series of my take on Once Upon a Time without Emma Swan. I was curious one day as to what might happen if there was no savior, and in talking with a few of very close friends, countless hours of brainstorming and late nights, this is what we came up with. Oh, and again I know I took the easy way out here opening up with a scene that we are all very familiar with, but after careful consideration I felt it was the best move to help ease you guys into these new characters/ideas I have in store for this story. Rest assured I won't be doing this often (copying from the TV show).**

**Special thanks to my good friend Ghost Shadow for the inspiration between Alexandre/Henry Carlyle/The Cheshire Cat.**

**If you missed the prologue (that explains a whole hell of a lot lol) you can find it here if you haven't clicked that super-easy-clicakable called 'follow.' ;)**

** s/10741235/1/Once-Upon-A-Time-The-Enchanted-Forest-Prologue**

**A few weeks before the curse hit The Enchanted Forest...**

_Rumpelstiltskin reached for his cup of tea Belle had just laid out on the dining room table and brought it up to his lips, minding the chip on the rim and holding the underside with his opposite hand, using it to test the temperature of the tea while he watched Belle walk around the end of the table to join him on the same side he was on. Ignoring it, however, Rumpelstiltskin took a few steps in the opposite direction, keeping a distance between the two of them, and then noticed that Belle took another few steps of equal distance to get closer to him. Once more, he reached his foot out and took a larger step, watching Belle behind him out of the corner of his eye to see that she was still following him. He turned around quickly to face her, to ask why she was following him, but Belle swiftly sat down on the edge of the table, swinging her feet back and forth and looking up at him with her head turned just slightly._

_"Why did you want me here?" Belle asked after a few moments of silence between the two of them. Rumpelstiltskin raised the teacup once more and shrugged._

_"The place was filthy." He replied and took a drink of the soothing warm liquid. It hadn't taken too long for Belle to learn just the right way to take his tea, blessed girl, and it was nothing short of perfection that he sipped at now. Belle turned her head a bit more sideways, giving him a doubtful look, not believing him for a second._

_"I think you were lonely." She voiced out boldly. Rumpelstiltskin lowered his teacup, watching Belle's face carefully. "I mean ANY man would be lonely." Rumpelstiltskin just wobbled his head back and forth as if to say 'if that's what you want to think,' and then sat down on the table next to her, though managing to keep a comfortable distance between them._

_"I'm not a man." He said, resting the teacup on his knee and looked down at it; anything to keep himself from looking at her. Belle was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say, and looked down at the wrinkles on her blue dress in her lap._

_"So I've had uh, a couple of months to look around, you know...and uh...upstairs? There's uh, a blanket; small...as if...for a child?" Belle chanced to turn her head to look at her master, wondering for a moment if this would set him off in any way, but all she could see from him was a couple of quick blinks in succession, and a slight increase in his breathing. "Was it yours? Or...or was there a son?"_

_Rumpelstiltskin continued to stare down at his tea, attempting to steady his heart before answering and turned his head just slightly to face her._

_"There was...a daughter..." He corrected her, and then turned his face away from her once again. "I lost her, as I did her mother."_

_Belle's face immediately fell at the news, feelings of empathy tugging at her heart that caused her to shake her head, almost regretting that she had asked._

_"I'm...I'm sorry..." She said turning her head as well so that she was looking back down into her lap again. Silence began to build, and Belle bit her lip as she found more questions starting to rise in her head, but knew she had to treat the situation delicately. "So...so you WERE a-a man once...an ordinary man..." She stated, though her tone opened it up to be a sort of question; or rather a statement looking for confirmation._

_Rumpelstiltskin didn't budge, and kept staring down at his tea, causing Belle to bend at the waist slightly in an effort to try to catch his eye by looking up at him, but still he did nothing. Belle straightened up her back and let out a quick sigh._

_"If I'm never going to know another person in my WHOLE life...can't I at least know you?"_

_Finally, Rumpelstiltskin moved, smiling just a bit as he moved to stand and face her slowly._

_"Perhaps..." He said softly, drawing the word out and set his preferred teacup on the table where he had just been sitting and then raised a finger at Belle. "Perhaps you just want to learn the monster's weaknesses!" He chided, wiggling his fingers a bit between them. Belle tried giving him a 'really?' look, but Rumpelstiltskin made a quick sound to keep her from saying anything, and then twice more to drive in his point. Belle waited patiently for him to stop, and then gave him a soft smile._

_"You're not a monster." She said indefinitely, her tone causing Rumpelstiltskin to bring his pointed finger at her back to a relaxed hand position, and then brought his hand away from her and more towards his torso. "You think you're uglier than you are! That's why you cover all the mirrors up isn't it?" Belle gestured towards the one large mirror in the room, covered in a thick square of canvas just as she had said. When Rumpelstiltskin said nothing, Belle gave him a knowing look and a quick, "Hmm?" to drive her own point._

_There was a sudden rap at the door, causing Rumpelstiltskin to look in the general direction, and went to answer it, grateful for the first time at such an intrusion on his castle and leaving Belle in the dining room for a moment. Once Rumpelstiltskin was in the main hall, he waved his hand in a horizontal circular motion above his head and the double doors sprung open, revealing a man on the doorstep with a torch in one hand, and a pitchfork in the other. He looked nervous as hell to be there, but Rumpelstiltskin waited for him to speak first._

_"I-I am Sir Christopher of Halla, and you beast have destroyed my village-"_

_Rumpelstiltskin had heard enough. He had an abundance of these particular visitors to know just where this was heading, and saved the man the trouble. Snapping his fingers, Rumpelstiltskin watched as the man was covered in a thin mist of purple smoke, quickly disappearing to reveal a single rose lying on the ground where the man had once been. With a slight smirk, Rumpelstiltskin swooped down to collect the rose, and went back into the dining room._

_He kept the rose hidden behind his back with one hand, while using his other hand to shut the dining room doors with magic._

_"Who was that?" Belle asked curiously, getting off of the table to walk towards him._

_"Just an old woman selling flowers." Rumpelstiltskin lied, and then proceeded to pull the rose from it's hiding place behind his back and offered it to her as she neared him still. "Here...if you'll have it?"_

_Belle kept back a smile by biting her lower lip, but made a small noise of appreciation as she extended her arm to accept the flower, taking it from him carefully._

_"Why thank you." She said civilly, and curtsied, and Rumpelstiltskin took a bow in response, leaving Belle to laugh a bit at the sudden turn to mimic the 'higher-class' before bringing the rose to her nose. As she turned to walk away, Rumpelstiltskin clapped his hands together and watched Belle walk to find a pair a shears and a vase in which to put the flower in._

_"You had a life Belle..." Rumpelstiltskin said watching her retrieve the pair of shears from a small toolbox. "...before...all this..." He used his fingers to make small circles, gesturing towards the entire situation she had been put in, and not just the moments that had just been created that day. "Friends...family..." Belle moved from the toolbox to walk to the glass cupboard on the far side of the room, but Rumpelstiltskin kept talking. "...what made you chose to stay here with me?"_

_Belle turned to face him as she reached the cupboard, and gave a small smile._

_"Heroism...sacrifice..." She quickly turned to open up the glass cupboard and withdrew a glass vase while Rumpelstiltskin took a seat in his chair at the head of the table. "You know, there aren't a lot of opportunities for women in this land, to show what they can do. To see the world, to be heroes!" Belle shut the cupboard, and began to walk back to the table. "So when I came for my father, that was my chance. I always wanted to be brave, I figured, do the brave thing and...bravery would follow..." She paused to snip the end of the stem as Rumpelstiltskin looked on upon her thoughtfully, starting to see his new servant in a slightly, brighter light._

_"And is it everything you hoped?" He asked, adding a bit of his childish voice in towards the end of his question and turning out his hand in question at the same time. Belle took the pitcher of water setting on the tea-set tray she had laid out earlier and filled the vase and stuck the rose inside, placing the vase in the very center of the table. She let out a half-breath, half laugh before answering._

_"Well...uh..." She let out another small laugh, taking a few steps towards him and sat back down on the table at an angle this time to be able to face him at the head of the table. "I did want to see the world...that part didn't really work out." She pursed her lips together, looking down at Rumpelstiltskin. "But uh, I did save my father."_

_Rumpelstiltskin put his hands together once more, making a slight triangle with them, tapping the tips of his fingers together._

_"And what of your, uh, betrothed?" He asked with a hesitated reluctance._

_"It was an arranged marriage. Honestly, I didn't really care much for Gaston." Belle paused, unable to keep a bright smile from coming as she then began to speak truly from her heart. "To me, love...love is layered, a...mystery to be uncovered...I could never truly give my heart to someone as superficial as he."_

_It was strange just how much her words stuck with Rumpelstiltskin, looking up at her and hanging onto every word as she spoke. Belle looked back at him, letting the silence in the room hang onto her words in a way that didn't just seem like silence anymore. Belle then quickly shook her head, pulling herself from her thoughts._

_"But um...you were going to tell me about your daughter..." She quickly reminded him._

_"I'll tell you what..." Rumpelstiltskin pressed his hands flat together and turned them so that they were, in a way, pointing at her. "I'll make you a deal..." Belle straightened up, curious of his proposal. "Go to town...and fetch me some straw. When you return...I'll share my tale."_

_"W-wh-why-I-wh-w-yo-, w-what? Town?" Belle stammered, unsure if she heard him right. "Y-you trust me to come back?"_

_"Oh no...I expect I'll never see you again..." He openly admitted._

_XXX_

_Hours slowly ticked by, and the sun that had once been so high up in the sky hand sunk below the horizon long ago, and Rumpelstiltskin hadn't taken his eyes away from looking out the window in the tallest tower of The Dark Castle. He could only hope that Belle would come back; even though she had no reason to. The promise of an insignificant story couldn't have been enough to keep her wondering, but he still had to hope._

_Finally, in the dead of night, Rumpelstiltskin spotted the young woman returning back from town, a basket of fresh straw on her hip as she took the path back to the castle. His heart jumped up into his throat, keeping him from being able to breathe for a few moments as he rushed down from the tower to take up his post in the Dining Hall at the spinning wheel. He didn't want Belle to know that he had been waiting for her return like a stupid, lonely animal._

_When Belle finally arrived at the castle, she went straight into the Dining Hall where she had last left Rumpelstiltskin, unsurprised to find him there at the creaky old spinning wheel. He had managed to calm his heart in the time it took her to reach the castle; spinning at the wheel always helped with his nerves._

_"Oh, your back already!" Rumpelstiltskin said to her without much care nor surprise in his voice. "Good, good thing. I'm uh, I'm nearly out of straw." He beckoned her over to him with his hand and turned back to the wheel in front of him, getting back to spinning what he had left. Belle quickly made her way over to him, keeping her eyes trained on him with a small, knowing smirk on her lips._

_"Hmm..." Belle reached the spinning wheel and set down the basket of straw of the floor. "Oh c'mon, you're happy I'm back! She said with a smile, practically bubbling over with enthusiasm that went straight to his groin. Rumpelstiltskin looked up at her through the spinning wheel, and tried to keep a smile off his face._

_"I'm not unhappy." He admitted, earning a small chuckle from Belle._

_Belle walked from the opposite side of the spinning wheel, walking behind Rumpelstiltskin and placed her hands delicately on his shoulders._

_"And uh, you promised me a story." Belle reminded him, leaning over his shoulder to get a good look at his face. Rumpelstiltskin stopped his spinning, looking up and over at her with a look of confusion on his face._

_"Did I?" He asked._

_"Mhhm!" Belle hummed, and moved once again so that she was standing by his side, emptying the grinder of the straw he had left to spin so he wouldn't be distracted into spinning more while he told her his tale and sat on the built-in seat of the spinning wheel, looking at Rumpelstiltskin expectantly and placed a hand on his knee. "Tell me about your daughter."_

_"Uh..." Rumpelstiltskin struggled to find his words. "I lost her. Nothing more to tell really" He finally said._

_"And since then…you've loved no one? And no one has loved you?"_

_Rumpelstiltskin narrowed his eyes just a bit, stemming from confusion. He leaned forward in his stool towards Belle, keeping his dark eyes on hers entirely, trying to search her face for answers._

_"Why did you come back?" He partially whispered._

_"I-I wasn't going to..." Belle admitted quietly. "...but then, something changed my mind..."_

_She stared back at Rumpelstiltskin, feeling her own heart beginning to hammer against her ribcage as she slowly leaned in, inch by inch all the while keeping her eyes on him in case he moved to stop her. He didn't. Their lips met in a soft, delicate kiss that lingered for a few moments, both sets of eyelids fluttering closed as they lived only for that moment. Eventually, Belle eased back just a few inches, looking at him once more with a soft expression, as if waiting for something._

_Rumpelstiltskin's skin began to grow warm, it wasn't anything painful, only a slight irritation that brought him out of the ecstasy of passion to slowly realize that something was happening._

_"W-whats happening?" He asked out loud, small patches of skin on his face beginning to return to a clear, pale color and ridding itself from the 'scaly' green. Belle beamed and placed her hands gently on the sides of his head, running her hands over his hair a few times._

_"Kiss me again! It's working!" Belle exclaimed._

_"What is?" Rumpelstiltskin demanded, his mind coming back quickly from the foggy state it had been in just seconds before. Belle held his face in her hands, unable to keep the bright smile off her face and moved her hands down to his shoulders, rubbing them gently._

_"Any curse can be broken!" She whispered out excitedly. Rumpelstiltskin used his own hands and pushed Belle's off of him as he jumped up, the stool on which he stood on flying back a few feet and falling over with a loud 'thunk.'_

_"WHO TOLD YOU THAT?" He demanded, taking a few steps away from her and pointed a finger at her accusingly. "WHO KNOWS THAT?"_

_The initial shock of Rumpelstiltskin's reaction caught Belle off-guard, having her stammering and searching for her words as she looked down to her hands in her lap, embarrassed._

_"I-I don't know, sh-she uh, she...she..."_

_Rumpelstiltskin looked away from Belle, taking a look at his hands to see a few more patches of his skin returning to normal._

_"She..." He hissed to himself, turning his back to Belle and stormed across the room to the mirror that had been covered up, causing Belle to get up from the built-in spinning wheel stool to watch him._

_"You...evil...bitch..." Rumpelstiltskin reached the mirror and tore off the canvas that had been covering it. "THIS WAS YOU!" He yelled, pointing a finger at what looked like his reflection. "YOU TURNED HER AGAINST ME!" He moved his hand so that instead of his pointer finger pointing at the mirror, his thumb was out and pointing backwards to Belle. "You think you can make me weak? YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME?"_

_Belle tentatively crossed the room, watching him shouting at the mirror in confusion._

_"W-who are you talking to?"_

_"THE QUEEN!" Rumpelstiltskin spun around on his heel to face Belle and pointed at her. "Your friend, The Queen. How did she get to you?" He asked in what sounded like genuine surprise._

_Belle shook her head._

_"The...The Queen? I don't-"_

_"I knew this was a trick..." Rumpelstiltskin said, keeping his finger pointed at her as he took a few slow steps towards Belle, and gestured both hands towards his torso. "I knew that you could never care for me! Oh yeah, you're working for her!" He gestured with his thumb again, pointing back behind him at the mirror before using both hands to point at Belle again. "Or is this all you? Is this you being the hero? And killing the beast..." He made a tight fist with his hands, his teeth gnashed together in a frightening expression matching the hatred in his eyes. Belle reached out for Rumpelstiltskin's hands, trying to take them in her own._

_"This means it's worki-"_

_"SHUT UP!" Rumpelstiltskin pushed her hands away harshly._

_"THIS MEANS IT'S TRUE LOVE!" Belle tried again._

_"SHUT THE HELL UP!"_

_"WHY WON'T YOU BELIEVE ME?"_

_Rumpelstiltskin's hands shot forward, grabbing Belle by the upper arms in a strong grip and shook her a few times._

_"**BECAUSE NO ONE...NO ONE...CAN EVER, EVER LOVE ME**!"_

_He grabbed her wrist harshly, and pulled her out of the Dining Room and took the spiral stone staircase down into the dungeon. He opened up one of the doors with his free hand by using magic, and then forcefully shoved her inside, causing Belle to lose her balance and fall to the stone floor. Rumpelstiltskin looked down at her, a scowl embedded into his features before turning to leave, shutting and sealing the door with magic behind him._

_He returned to the Dining Room where he procured his walking stick he used back before he gained power and crossed the room to the glass cabinet that held most of his trinkets. He wailed down on the cabinet, causing the glass to shatter and the wooden frames to crack and splinter until he was unable to keep swinging. He dropped the stick down, placing the palms of his hands on the cabinet shelf at his waist and hunched himself over, sobbing quietly to himself._

_Bringing himself out of that, he went to the table where their tea had been laid out for them from earlier and picked up one of the teacups. He looked at it with a frown and chucked it across the room, watching it shatter to a thousand tiny pieces against the wall. When the sound of delicate china did little to soothe him, he picked up another teacup, throwing this one as well and then another, and another. With one teacup left, he grabbed it and moved to throw it, however the chip in the side of the cup caught his eye. He was drawn to it, holding it out for him to examine a bit more and remembering the time when Belle had dropped the teacup when she had first arrived at The Dark Castle. Shaking his head, he set the teacup back down on the tray and walked away._

_XXX_

_Morning came; but Belle would have never known that until Rumpelstiltskin opened up her cell door, letting the light shine in._

_"So...what are you going to do to me?" Belle asked with a dejected look as Rumpelstiltskin walked into her cell, standing over her as she remained sitting. Rumpelstiltskin raised his arm, his finger pointing to the door._

_"Go." He sneered, the anger still holding harshly in his eyes. Unable to continue looking at her, he turned around so that his back was to Belle, waiting for her to get up and leave._

_"Go?" Belle asked in confusion._

_"I don't want you anymore dearie." Rumpelstiltskin said plainly, keeping from looking at her. "You have a fiance' to get back home to, and I no longer need you."_

_Belle pushed herself up to stand, looking at her master's back for a moment before walking past him to leave out the door, however her steps failed her once she reached that point, and turned to go back to him._

_"You were freeing yourself!" She said hotly to him, like a mother scolding a child. "You could have had happiness if you just **believed** that someone could want you!"_

_Rumpelstiltskin looked at her plainly, allowing no emotion to break through his tough exterior._

_"But you couldn't take the chance." Belle finished._

_"That's a lie!" He hissed through his teeth, but managed to keep his voice down. Belle took a dangerous step closer to him, but she didn't care, she had to get her say in._

_"You're a coward, Rumpelstiltskin. And no matter how thick you make your skin, that doesn't change." Belle shook her head lightly._

_"I'm not a coward, dearie." He replied almost immediately. "It's quite simple, really. My power means more to me...than you.."_

_"No...no it doesn't. You just don't think that I can love you." Belle corrected him, getting a cold stare from him in return. "Now you've made your choice...and you're going to regret it...forever..." Belle choked on her words a bit as she felt the tears coming to her eyes. "All you'll have is an empty heart; an empty heart and a chipped cup."_

_Rumpelstiltskin's face remained unmoved, and said nothing. Belle shook her head again and turned to leave, this time for good. It was time for her to put her life back in order. Only when she was completely gone did Rumpelstiltskin breathe a heavy sigh through his nose, and let his eyes close._

XXX

**Present Day, In Storybrooke**

Mr. Gold lurched upright in his bed, a cold bead of sweat trickling down his neck as he took a moment to catch his breath. Putting his hand on top of the dark blue silk fabric of his buttoned-up night shirt over his heart, he felt the organ pulsing hard and fast against his ribcage, but as he steadily regained his breath, the beating eventually slowed to normal.

Blinking into the darkness of his bedroom, Mr. Gold tossed aside the heavy, down, silk comforter off of him and swung his legs over the side of the bed, taking extra care with his right leg. Once his bare feet touched the cool, hardwood surface of his floor, he reached out for his cane, knowing its location by sheer memory and used it to help himself up.

Despite catching his breath and being able to calm his heart down, he continued to sweat, but ignored this as he heavily limped a few paces in the darkness of his bedroom to a dresser that was pushed against the wall, facing his bed. Once in front of it, he ran his hand slowly over the top of the dresser, knocking a few small things over in his pursuit but he did not stop until his hand found the glass bottle. His nimble fingers clasped the top of the bottle tightly and raised it off of the dresser.

Using the back sleeve of his night shirt, he quickly wiped away the accumulating sweat from his forehead, at the same time using his teeth to pull out the cork from the bottle and spat it out, hearing it hit the wooden floor and roll away. He raised the bottle to his lips, and took a good, long drink from the bottle, feeling the alcohol immediately beginning to burn at his throat; however it also managed to calm his nerves.

What had he been dreaming about anyway? He honestly could not remember, all he knew was that these dreams were becoming more and more frequent, robbing him of his sleep on an almost normal occurrence and practically giving him a heart-attack each time.

Satisfied, Mr. Gold set the bottle back down on the dresser and walked to the corner of the room to finally turn on the light. He took a quick look at the analog clock sitting on the dresser next to the bottle, reading 4:13 in the morning. It was still a little early, but there was no sense in going back to bed now.

It only took but a few moments before Mr. Gold was showered and dressed in one of his favorite suits, a dark grey, thin pinstripe jacket with matching pants and a deep ruby red button up-shirt underneath, complete with a matching red in color tie with embroidered swirls around it with a matching pocket square. He stood before a full-length mirror in his bedroom, pressing the corners of the collar of his suit jacket down and adjusted his tie. After quickly insuring that his black dress shoes were shining spotlessly, he took hold of his cane and began the short walk down the way to his Pawnshop where he would open for the day.

He wasn't sure what it was, but something hung in the air that morning, something that put Mr. Gold in high spirits; something more than it being the day he went around town to collect his rent...

Stopping at the front door of his shop, Mr. Gold leaned his cane on the door while he fished through his suit jacket for the keys to unlock it, however the sound of a car engine he had not heard before slowed him down, causing Mr. Gold to stop with his hand on the key in the lock to look over his shoulder to find the source of the noise.

The car, an old Nissan Leopard, pulled in by the sidewalk just next to the pawn shop; ricketing slightly before dying. There was a slight rustling sound from the inside before the door swung open rather unceremoniously. A man stepped out of the car, closing the car door before looking around the area. He looked rather impeccably dressed for someone who, apparently, wasn't used to wealth.

His blue eyes landed on Mr. Gold, a flash of recognition followed by veiled anger seemed to dash across them before fading into neutrality.

"So, this must be Storybrooke." The man said in an intrigued tone, hands in his coat pockets.

"I suppose that depends..." Mr. Gold said turning away from the man to take the key out of the lock, keeping the door locked and placed the ring of keys back into his suit pocket. He reached for his cane and turned to face the stranger once more, resting both hands on the golden handle and looking the man up and down a few times. "...on who you are..." His Scottish accent was thick, yet able to hold a clear tone of authority, and although there wasn't but a street lamp twenty or so feet away to give any amount of light on this dark morning, a small glint in Mr. Gold's eye could easily be caught.

"Oh, excuse me, where are my manners?" The man walked forward until he was in reaching distance of Mr. Gold, holding out a single hand to shake. "Henry Carlyle." He greeted warmly enough, flashing a grin that seemed to exude total friendliness.

Mr. Gold's dark brown eyes looked down to the hand offered to him. His fingers twitched a bit on top of his cane, but he made no other movement, showing no interest whatsoever in shaking the man's hand.

"And you must be..." The stranger continued, retracting his hand back and eyes quickly flashing up to the wide sign hanging above the doorway of the shop, "Mr. Gold?" He said, phrasing it both as a statement and a question.

"Ah, so you _can_ read." Mr. Gold began, looking back up to the stranger; Henry. "Forgive my observation Mr. Carlyle, I had only assumed you couldn't since you had to stop and ask where you are, even though you clearly passed a sign welcoming you to into Storybrooke just down the road a ways on your way here." He gave no pause to let Henry respond in his defense, clearly taking control over the conversation.

"Just passing through then? It's not very often we get visitors here. Void the point; you need a place to stay. Granny's Bed and Breakfast is just down the way a bit-" Mr. Gold raised his cane to use the end to point down the road. "-I'd be happy to walk you there, I have business with the tenant as it happens." Again, Mr. Gold left open no gaps, no chance for reaction from the stranger before he began walking off in the direction he had been pointing at with his cane, seeming uncaring if Henry did chose to follow him or not.

Henry waited until the older man had walked away a bit before muttering to himself, "I'm starting to miss the giggle." Without skipping a beat, he followed Mr. Gold down the road, his coat flowing behind him in the cool breeze; the sun just beginning to shed its light across the horizon.

He pushed his glasses up on his nose as he saw the modest, yet comfortable looking diner in the near distance. "What a charming little place." He commented with a hint of giddiness to his voice, trying the best he could to make conversation with the businessman. Mr. Gold, however, stayed silent and stopped at the door, allowing Henry to be the first to walk inside.

Despite it being just after five in the morning, the moment Henry opened the door, voices could be heard, and they didn't sound too friendly.

"You were out all night! And now you're going out again!" An elderly woman's voice echoed down the old, warped wooden stairs that led to the upstairs bedrooms.

"I should have moved to Boston!" Came a heated reply from a younger female, now emerging down the stairs with the older woman following just behind her.

"Well I'm sorry my heart-attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the eastern seaboard!"

The young woman walked right past Henry with annoyance in her step, not even noticing the strange man in the room and went through a separate, open doorway that looked as if it might hold the portion of the building where Granny lived in when she wasn't running the Bed and Breakfast.

Henry couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at the small altercation before the attractive, if not severely underdressed woman stormed by.

"Well, this place is full of surprises." He commented in a tone that held slight amusement. His eyes turned to the small bell that rested on the vintage front desk. He quickly _dinged_ it, awaiting for the proprietor to arrive.

Granny, who had stopped in the middle of the room to put her hands on her hips and watch her granddaughter leave in the middle of their argument, heard the bell and quickly turned around to see Henry standing there not ten feet away from her. Ruby, having heard the bell ding from the other room, even poked her head around the corner to look into the room to see him, both wearing utterly confused faces as they looked on him.

"Can I help you?" Granny asked after a brief, awkward silence, though the agitation in her voice from arguing with her granddaughter was still there.

"Yes, hello. I would like a room to stay in please." His face seemed to contort to one of deep thought for a moment, mumbling silently to himself before speaking again. "About two weeks, if you would." He decided, flashing that same grin he tried to use on Mr. Gold just minutes before.

Ruby tentatively walked out from the separate part of the room and up to Henry.

"Really?" She asked, sounding confused. Granny, however, didn't hesitate. Her face lit up immediately and she bustled herself to behind the counter in great eagerness.

"Would you like a forest view? Or a square view?" She asked, busying herself around behind the desk to try to locate the booking book that had long since been forgotten. Finally finding it, she blew away the dust that had collected on the jacket and opened it up onto the counter. "Normally there's an upgrade fee for the square, but, since you're new here I can waive it..." Granny offered.

"Well then, I'll take the square view, please." Henry replied, reaching into his coat as if to find something. His eyes narrowed again and he seemed to bob his head in waiting. He eventually pulled his hand back out, a wad of slightly crumpled bills in his hand. He counted out 40 dollars and placed them on the counter, where they seemed to try and naturally fold themselves again; no doubt from their awkward placement in his pocket. "This is such a quaint little building - I like quaint." He complimented, smirking with a warm look in his eyes.

"It's not." Ruby directly said behind him with an air of bitterness, wrapping a thin silk scarf around her head to keep warm from the slight chill in the room.

"You hush your tramp mouth!" Granny snapped as she looked around for a pen. Finally finding one, she made sure it worked by scribbling in the book a few times before looking back up to the stranger wearing a smile. "Now, what's the name?" She asked cheerily.

"Uh, Henry Carlyle." He replied, seeming as if he came out of a quick reverie. In truth simply seeing all these people from the Enchanted Forest in a small little town with their own fake lives discombobulated him. But he kept his front well.

The door to Granny's Bed and Breakfast opened, and Mr. Gold finally decided to walk inside. Granny peered up from her glasses, and every ounce of her previous happiness seemed to have been sucked away from her as soon as she realized who it was that had entered the room. Abandoning her book to put Henry in, she immediately reached into a small pocket in her apron and pulled out a rolled up wad of cash and handed it over the counter to Mr. Gold with an angry, firm look on her face.

"It's all here." She said quickly as Mr. Gold reached over to take the wad of cash.

"Yes, of course it is dearie, thank you." Mr. Gold replied politely and put the wad of cash into his suit jacket pocket. The silence in the room seemed to hang like a death omen as the exchange was made, even Ruby who had stayed more to the back kept quiet. Mr. Gold finally turned to Henry and gave a sideways smile. "You enjoy your stay here…Mr. Carlyle…" He said politely before turning to leave the room, meeting Ruby's eyes in a silent stare before leaving the building completely.

Ruby opened up the curtain that kept the window covered just a hair to see him limping away, back to his shop, the look of total loathing for the man now clear on her face.

"Mr. Gold." Granny explained, attempting to fill Henry in on what had just transpired. "He owns the place."

"Oh yes, quite a peachy fellow." Henry replied with an ironic tone, hands in his coat pockets once again. "He owns the inn, you said?" Henry asked, turning towards Granny, his voice now inquisitive and serious; but not unfriendly.

"No, the town." Ruby corrected him. Granny shook her head, and attempted to pull herself out of the downward spiral her gut had taken the moment Mr. Gold entered the shop and attempted to clear the ominous air in the room. She reached for a single, steel key and handed it over to Henry.

"So glad you'll be staying with us Mr. Carlyle. And welcome to Storybrooke." She said before looking over his shoulder at Ruby. "Would you show our guest to his room? Or am I going to have to wish for it on my deathbed?"

Ruby rolled her eyes, unfolding her arms from across her chest and walked up to Henry and towards the staircase.

"This way." She instructed unenthusiastically and went ahead of him up the stairs.

Henry took the key with a small smile and appreciative nod, turning hastily to follow Ruby upstairs.

The room was moderately sized, the decor and wallpaper reminiscent of the 19th Century. The walls were colored a deep red with white floral pattern. The floor was a dark ivory colored carpet layering, but the creaks of the wooden foundation showed the building's age. As for furnishings, the room was outfitted with a double bed, rotary dial phone, a desk, a dresser, and a small radio on the bedside table.

"Huh, I could get used to this." Henry commented, turning to Ruby as he spoke after quickly investigating his residence.

Ruby had leaned herself against the door frame, arms crossed over her chest making the white, half t-shirt ride up on her stomach even more than it was intended to. She popped a bubble with her gum as Henry turned to look at her, and with a sigh said,

"Please, let me know if you need anything. Granny and I want your stay here at Granny's Bed and Breakfast to be as comfortable as possible." She sounded more like she was just relating something she was forced to memorize, but when she spoke again, her voice changed into something that she would have personally said. "But seriously..." She let her eyes look Henry up and down in appreciation a few times, not even bothering to be subtle and popped a bubble again. "...if you need _anything_" She heavily implied the last word, and let her ruby red lips curve up into a mischievous smile before letting herself up and off of the door frame to head back downstairs.

Henry's expression during Ruby's obvious attempt at flirting could only be described as a mixture of shock and confusion. "Um...ok!" He finally exclaimed once she had left his room, and he quickly shut the door behind her.

Once he felt he was completely alone, he made his way over to the desk, procuring a slightly tattered map from his pocket and spreading it fully across the desk's surface. "Well now Rumpelstiltskin, I've found you." He commented to himself; his voice now dark and cruel. But for the moment, he couldn't harm the Imp...not until the Deal was fulfilled. He would bide his time and wait - and strike once the iron was hot.

Henry studied the Map for a few moments more before meticulously flipping it over, reading the clear, direct instructions left by Rumpelstiltskin before the Curse hit:

_1). Find me_  
><em>2). Restore the memories lost<em>  
><em>3). Break the Curse<em>

Henry reached once more into his pocket (which seemed to hold everything he needed), procuring a small vial of slightly luminescent blue liquid, which would, upon ingestion; restore the memories of whomever drank it.

He looked at the vial with disgust, conflicted as to what to *do* with it. He could give the pawnbroker the vial and restore his memories as Rumpelstiltskin...or he could wait and relish in the fact that the most powerful being in the Enchanted Forest was little more than a prickly, crippled old man.

A small smirk seemed to creep across Henry's lips as he was suddenly appreciative of the current situation. Letting his emotions take control of better judgment, Henry quickly moved from the desk towards the small, modest restroom connected to the bedroom; dumping the contents of the vial into the sink before dropping the now-empty container into the trash can.

His step seemed heavier as he left the bathroom, removing his coat and hoisting it over his shoulder. As good as it felt - was getting rid of a potentially useful asset necessary? Henry quickly buried these thoughts within himself, knowing that the Imp was getting exactly what he deserved.

He sat down at the edge of the bed with a deep sigh, letting the coat lay aimlessly next to him. He let a single hand grip around the cool metal of his signature key, the totem which followed him from one realm to the next. He pulled the key up and over his head, letting his nimble fingers dart across its surface

He remembered Wonderland, though the memories now seem like little more than a dream. Within minutes of being sent to Wonderland by Rumpelstiltskin, he was detained by the Queen's guards and brought to her for sentencing. The cunning and quick-thinking that allowed him to escape her clutches the first time had run out, as he had no more magic to use, and his punishment was finally waiting in the same cell that held him years ago.

XXX

_Five Years Ago..._

_Alexandre struggled very little as two of the Red Queen's guards held firmly onto each arm. He knew that any form of resistance would only grant him injury - but that didn't stop his tongue._

_"So, is the cell as nice as it was before? Damp stone walls and the smell of death and feces grows on you." He added snarkily, though the guards were either too disciplined, or indoctrinated to respond to a verbal jape. They stopped abruptly in front of an empty cell, opening the door and unceremoniously throwing Alexandre in, leaving just as quickly as they arrived._

_"Out of the frying pan and into the fire." He grumbled miserably, sure that his execution - or torture - would come soon. But neither did. Instead, after days of sitting alone in his cell; he was brought to the Queen herself, who took the liberty of changing Alexandre's entire outlook on the situation of his little sister's death and then in part, granted Alexandre his freedom in Wonderland so long as he stayed out of trouble._

XXX

It was then that Alexandre used the Map that Rumpelstiltskin gave him to send himself to the Land Without Magic - though now for different reasons...

Henry kept his fist clenched tightly around the key that rested in his palm, his knuckles turning white with the exertion.

"We will be together again soon...I promise you this." He said quietly before returning the totem to its signature place around his neck. Quickly throwing his coat on, he left his room, believing it high time to explore his new surroundings, now that the sun was finally up.

XXX

As soon as Mr. Gold stepped outside from Granny's Bed and Breakfast, he headed out into the street just a ways so that he could get a clear look at the clock tower that was the center of Storybrooke. The hands showed 8:15, and they had shown 8:15 for as long as anyone could remember. However, as Mr. Gold seemed to stare the clock down, the minute hand suddenly jumped, now showing the time of 8:16, and Mr. Gold couldn't help but to smile before heading off to his shop once more.

**Author's Note:**

**Well? What do you think? Don't be afraid to click that follow button and leave a comment, I am dying to know what you guys think about all of this. The next chapter will (hopefully) be up tomorrow, I'll be taking a (much) slower pace at uploading the chapters than I was with the Prologue because I'm mean like that and want you to wait :)**

**Happy Reading!**


	2. Chapter 2: Familiar Faces

**Author's Note:**

**And here we are at chapter 2! I apologize in advance if this chapter seems a bit…slow to you as introductions have never really been easy for me. If you have any suggestions/comments please be sure to leave them in your review.**

Dr. Faye Stevenson groaned as she woke up, not in the bedroom, but instead in the basement prison she had in her house just for her counterpart. Faye could immediately tell that she went through a violent episode while her other persona was in control the night before; the once neat and tidied room was an absolute wreck. Thankfully, the computer and the cameras in the house were still intact, of course, that was thanks to the rules Faye and her other persona imposed upon each other in mutual understanding via tape recorder.

She got out of the room by typing in a password into the keypad mounted on the wall that only she and the door swiftly opened, granting her exit. She quickly made her way upstairs, had her usual breakfast and changed into a pencil skirt and blouse with a white coat over it, not having enough time to get in a shower before work. She slipped on a pair of comfortable shoes that would allow her to move about the hospital quickly without much discomfort and even made sure to pocket the tape recorder, just in case her other, stronger persona decided to take over.

She soon left her home, a reasonably sized estate on the edge of town a hundred or so yards away from the even larger home belonging to the mayor and walked the short distance to the hospital. On her way there, she was greeted by others as per routine, and greeted them back with a white smile. The people who were her previous patients were the friendliest to her since they recalled her kindness. However once she reached the hospital, it was cold and professional as usual.

She was immediately greeted by Dr. Whale (if his grunt to the displeasure of the early morning could be considered a greeting) to bring her up to speed about the goings on at the hospital and more importantly about any changes the patients had overnight. With her eidetic memory, Faye easily recalled their conditions and what would be the best solution and she tended to them in a quick, professional pace without further delay. As soon as her morning rounds were finished, she headed back downstairs to the coma ward where they held a single person who had been there as long as anyone could remember to check in on their Jane Doe.

XXX

Mid-afternoon strolled by, and Regina, the Mayor of Storybrooke, made it a point to visit the hospital; something she did once a week every Saturday at exactly 4:00 p.m. to ensure that 'Jane Doe' stayed a Jane Doe. Sure it was a bit paranoid of her to do so; the curse had proven time and time again to hold up strong and without any gaping holes that Regina had to fill, but the conversation she and Rumpelstiltskin had just before she initiated the curse never left her thoughts; always making her wonder.

Walking into the hospital room, Regina didn't even so much as glance at the other patients; her eyes set dead on the glass room that held Snow White and allowed herself in. It was the same as last week, and every week before that. Snow hadn't moved; not a single hair out of place and Regina couldn't help but to smile, fully well knowing that her back was to the cameras...just in case...

The Head Doctor soon entered the room, and she greeted The Mayor politely as per their routine and seemingly unfazed by her presence as everyone else seemed to shrink away from the woman.

"Hello, Madam Mayor,"

"Dr. Stevenson." Regina acknowledged with a slight nod. "And how's our patient doing today? Anyone to see her lately?"

Faye answered as she checked on the machines that kept track of the patient's brainwaves,

"Jane seems to be the same as ever...her condition is stable, but no one, except you, has come to see her as of yet. No infections either, remarkable really considering how long she has been here…"

"Good, good." Regina said more to herself, then catching her potential mistake of making it seem that Jane Doe being in the hospital still was a good thing, she added on, "At least her condition hasn't taken a turn for the worse."

Regina quickly cleared her throat and looked over the comatose Snow once more, feeling that sense of pride welling up in her that _she_ had done this; _she_ had taken away Snow's happiness. It was a good feeling, knowing that she had won; another reason she kept coming back every week.

Faye looked up from her notes on Jane Doe's medical condition, though didn't hold the same amount of optimism The Mayor had.

"True..."

"As her emergency contact, you'll let me know straight away if there is any change?" Regina asked, though her tone made it sound more like a demand than a question.

"Of course, Madam Mayor. There's no change when it comes to emergency contacts." Faye answered as she wrote every detail of Jane Doe's condition down, copying the numbers on the computer screens. Her tone was calm, if a bit cryptic; untrusting even. Regina wasn't put off by the Dr.'s tone one bit, she was far too immersed in swimming in this happy feeling to even really notice.

"Thank you Doctor, but I really must be going now." She said looking to Faye and let up a small smile. "You do good work here doctor; just...keep doing what it is that you've always done." Regina added on, her smile widening a bit more at the double implication before leaving the room to exit the hospital and return back home.

XXX

He couldn't remember when he had finally gotten used to waking up early like this. To fall into routine, to _follow_ a routine. Waking up early, about 5AM or earlier even on his days off, jog for almost an hour around town, take a shower, put on clean clothing, pick up the newspaper…

Knox stepped into the diner took a look around, newspaper in hand. It was the usual occupancy here or there, nothing to get excited about. Nothing ever exciting ever seemed to happen in Storybrooke.

Taking only a second more, letting his eyes adjust to the change in lighting, the man let out a tired sigh before taking his usual seat at the booth by the window in Granny's Diner, setting the newspaper onto the table before him he skimmed the contents of one page, and turned the page to skim the other. The light of the morning shone in brightly though his window seat, warming his face though causing him to squint harshly. He should have brought his sunglasses this morning, his sensitivity to the light was only seeming to get worse. He just needed to get through breakfast, then he could return home and sleep off the oncoming headache.

XXX

How Ruby got talked into taking the morning shift...again…was beyond her, though she supposed she could have blamed the stranger that rolled into town earlier that morning for breaking her head-strong thought process of going out with Gus, the town's tow-truck man. So here she was, wiping down the table that had just been used by an early-morning couple, practically bending over the entire table to reach the other side rather than just walking around the table, feeling the looks of appreciation from the handful of men in the diner that were getting quite the view as she attempted to wipe up a 'really tough stain' which caused her to linger just a bit longer.

The door to Granny's Diner opened once again, and Ruby looked up to see an early-morning regular walk through the door to take his usual seat in a booth. Wiping up whatever was left of that 'stubborn stain' on the table she tossed the dirty rag over the bar counter and into the sink before making her way over to the coffee maker. She filled up a mug with the black liquid and called to the cook in the kitchen to get going on some cheesy fries before heading over to Knox with the cup of hot coffee in her hand.

She placed it on the table in front of him and greeted him with her usual, perky smile.

"Black coffee, just the way you like it!" She said bouncing on the balls of her feet twice and folded her hands together to rest against the tiny little apron that might as well have not been there, as it was obviously more for looks than practicality since it was tied at her waist and only went down to the bottoms of her shorts, which really didn't leave much to the imagination. "Your fries are on their way, anything else I can get you Knox?"

Feeling the weak material of the newspaper between his index finger and his thumb, Knox turned the page and almost just groaned to himself when he saw the next page covered in ads. Right. Life. It certainly had a funny way of breaking you out of your morning trance of reading and boredom just in time for coffee. His coffee was placed on the table before him, and without missing a beat; he plucked it up and drank it down the very next moment. Whilst doing so, he appreciated the combination of rich (enough) bitterness of the hot liquid, and simultaneously cast the waitress a quick glance.

From what her name tag displayed, her name was Ruby, the granddaughter of the diner's owner. From what her uniform revealed, not the most practical girl, unless fishing for hefty tips was her main aim in the waitressing game. The more attractive the waitress, the better the tips apparently. But no, Knox was no stranger to her…but, they'd never spoken much. He wasn't sure how he felt about her using his name so casually.

Setting his now empty coffee cup onto the table, he drummed his fingers over the surface of the table, his eyes staring straight into Ruby's, "My fries and a refill on my coffee is all I'll need, thank you."

"Coming right up!" Ruby chirped, and took hold of the empty coffee cup in her hand and walked back over to the coffee pot still brewing hot on the machine, making sure to sway her hips side to side in an almost exaggerated manner as she did. By the time she had returned with his refill, the cook from the kitchen called his order ready and Ruby went to the window to go and pick it up.

She returned to his booth and set the fries down on the table in front of him, getting a good whiff of the greasy basket of cholesterol and trans fats almost making Ruby turn her head away to keep from smelling it. How anyone could eat something like this so early in the morning was beyond her. Coffee, she could understand, but a heart-attack on a platter...that one she would scratch her head over later.

Knox's head snapped up when he caught the whiff of _his_ cheesy fries, and he watched Ruby as she brought it on over. With it being set before him, the number of potato sticks arranged on the plate covered in the cheese (sometimes cheese sauce, sometimes melted cheese), the whole thing practically wore a halo and little wings as he stared down at it. Heavenly.

Taking the fork into his hand, Knox got two particularly good looking, cheese covered fries and brought them into his mouth. Crunchy fries and smooth cheesy goodness, the anticipation of such a breakfast was what made it easier to rise in the morning. Even a guarded sort of man like him could enjoy a simple treat like this.

A thoughtful expression crossed Ruby's face for a moment as she looked down at him, the gears in her head obviously turning as if debating on doing or saying something, however just after a few moments, Ruby took the initiative and slid into the booth seat across from him and folded her hands together, letting them rest on the table.

"You don't work tonight right?" She asked, the only way she knew this of course was by routine. She had been serving Knox's 'regular' almost every day for as long as she could remember, and some days he stayed longer than others, in no rush or need to get to work on time.

Forking up some more of the cheesy fries, though carefully, Knox chewed quietly and slowed just a bit when he realized that Ruby hadn't just turned and left. No, instead, she was seated across from him. Listening to her question, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and drank down more black coffee, before giving her his answer.

"On paper, today is my day off…"

"Good." Ruby adjusted herself in her seat to make herself more comfortable. The diner was still practically empty; the morning breakfast rush wouldn't start for at least another ten minutes at 8:30AM or so, so she had a bit of time before Granny began barking at her to do her job. It was strange though, for as long as she could remember, Ruby had wanted to do this very thing, but something always seemed to get in the way, preventing her from doing so. Somehow, for some reason, today was different.

She took a good look at his face; he was older than her...not considerably, but enough to sit on the borderline of the type of men she usually liked to hang out with. She couldn't count how many times she had looked at him in the past, at least once a day when he came in for his coffee and cheesy fries, but this time, when Ruby opened her mouth to speak, her words caught in her throat as she seemed to notice for the very first time...his eyes.

They had made eye contact before, countless times, but this time...this time was different. They held a sense of...knowing in them, something that struck Ruby...familiar? It was like having a word on the tip of your tongue, but instead it was more like a thought on the tip of her brain.

She quickly cleared her throat, and continued to talk, dismissing the strange...interruption in her mind.

"So, you've been coming in here every day for as long as I can remember. You order the same thing, and you get here the same time. I'm starting to think that you don't know to really live; your life is so predictable! Why don't you meet me at the Rabbit Hole later, after my shift; we can share a few drinks and I can try to chip away at that rough exterior you put up. I even bet that I can get you to smile by the time the night's through."

At that, Knox just gave her the blanket look, before continuing on to quietly eat his fries and drink his black coffee. This woman was easily a number of years younger than him, and yet she seemed certain that she had a better understanding of him than he himself did. Unfortunately, he wasn't one to take the obvious bait.

"I already have prior arrangements for this evening." An all-important date with hospital sign-in logs, watching surveillance cameras for any anomalies…no better way to spend the day off. There was a quiet silence that followed, and though it was only just a few seconds it seemed like an eternity to Knox, forcing him to open his mouth once more.

"…Only a few drinks."

Ruby's lipstick red lips turned up into a white smile. She would have called him out on having 'prior engagements' if he hadn't accepted, but his 'few drinks' rule kept her from doing so. The front door of the diner opened, and by instinct Ruby looked up to see who it was and noticed the newly familiar face of the stranger who had rolled into town just a few hours ago.

Henry stepped through the door, his face expressing a curious interest; a pair of Walkman headphones over his ears. He reached into the folds of his coat, pushing what could only be assumed as the 'stop' button on his tape player before removing the headphones. He took in the atmosphere of the restaurant: it had a cozy, almost retro feel to it. The floors were a simple tile and the walls decorated with obscure images and scenes over the top of the green forest wallpaper, giving the building a feel of mystery to it.

He took his coat off, hanging it on the rack just next to the front door, wearing a simple dark gray Henley shirt underneath. He gave a simple nod of greeting and a smile to Ruby who was making conversation (most likely flirting) with a rather melancholy-looking man who was eating...a mess of cheese and french fries on a plate. Henry raised his eyebrows but said nothing, instead stepping up to the counter, where he took a seat. He began whistling to himself, tapping his fingers on the counter surface in a slight beat; his behavior peculiar, but not abnormal.

Ruby looked back to Knox and nodded, sealing the 'date' she had set up with him and non-verbally excused herself, getting out of the booth and headed to Henry. She walked behind the counter and folded her arms, resting them on the bar in between herself and the new visitor and bending at the waist slightly, just enough so that her half t-shirt was dropping down, giving the newcomer a clear view of her chest.

"I wondered when you'd find this place." Ruby said to him with a smile. "Anything specific I can do for you Henry? Pancakes? Crepes?"

Henry let his eyes dart down for a split second when Ruby bent over, but otherwise didn't react except for the smile that seemed plastered onto his face. "I think I'll just have some eggs and bacon with toast, please. Coke to drink." He ordered, his fingers still rapping against the countertop as he spoke.

"Coming up handsome." Ruby nodded and got up off of the bar to relay the order to the cook while getting an empty glass to fill with the soda. Ruby had to wrinkle her nose again as the filled the cup; just like cheesy fries, who could drink soda this early in the morning? She returned to the bar and set the soda down in front of him, her smile returning. "Should be about ten minutes on those eggs." She informed him. "So, how are you liking Storybrooke so far?"

"Oh, it's a nice little town so far. People are a bit aloof, but-" he leaned in a bit, "I've always been a charmer." He finished with a smirk, quite confident in his ability to make friends.

Ruby gave a sideways smile and raised her eyebrow, as if to say 'really now?'

"Town seems a bit off the grid, though. It was only by chance I managed to find it." He added in a more conversational tone.

Ruby just shrugged. Storybrooke had always been that way; it was a little town, and little towns were hard to find.

"Hey..." She said leaning over the bar again to get closer to him. "Knox and I are headed down to the Rabbit Hole after my shift later for a couple drinks." She said, vaguely gesturing towards Knox since Henry couldn't possibly know who he was just yet. "You should join us; get to know some of us 'aloof' folk."

Henry's eyes leered over to the melancholy man with the heart-attack-on-a-plate, adding the name 'Knox' to memory.

_"I'll have to find out who he is later..." _He thought to himself before speaking again.

"Oh, that sounds lovely. You know where I live." He responded with a wink.

"Even if I didn't, I could follow that good smelling cologne of yours anywhere." Ruby replied with a wink back and then once again pushed herself off of the bar to go to the register where she printed up Knox's ticket for his cheesy fries and coffee.

XXX

After finishing breakfast, Henry left the diner almost as swiftly as he came in; not forgetting to grab his coat on the way out. Feeling the wind hit him as he left the threshold of the door, he put his headphones back on as he walked down the street; making a mental note to pick up his car back at Mr. Gold's shop before anything else.

The journey back to the pawn shop was a simple one, as the town was small and easily navigable, though he still received odd stares from the other citizens and could hear the occasional whisper, though nothing other than that. He stopped just before the entrance to Mr. Gold's shop, wondering what his next move should be. Making a quick, internal decision; he let curiosity get the better of him and headed towards the door, pushing it open with a single hand.

The old bell connected to the door chimed, alerting Mr. Gold that someone had entered his shop. He wasn't too hard to find, even amongst the somewhat cluttered layout. The floor had but just a single pathway between the door and the main desk in which Mr. Gold was standing behind, if someone wanted to take a closer look at something in the far corner, they had to find or make their own path in between the stacks of books and glass cabinets holding an assortment of jewelry, all pushed together tightly like an elaborate puzzle.

The walls were covered as well with all sorts of paintings, tapestries, dream catchers and mounted weapons. Even the ceiling had things hanging from it to make most of the space such as bikes, a couple kites and even a small child's glass unicorn mobile that seemed to be the center point of the entire shop.

Upon the main counter where Mr. Gold stood behind was a collection of old, dusty books. In one hand, Mr. Gold held a dust rag and in the other one of the books off of the cabinet. He finished dusting off the jacket and set it to the side with the few other books he had been busy cleaning that morning and set the rag down on the counter, resting his palms on the edge of the wood and giving his attention fully to Henry.

"Looking for furniture already are we?" He asked, keeping his one hand busy by taking up the rag again and started to wipe down the parts of the counter that weren't covered by books.

Henry took the first few moments of his entrance to survey his surroundings, bobbing his head subtly as he seemed to almost critique the shop within his own head. He removed his headphones once again as he (carefully) made his way to the front of the counter.

"Nah, not yet anyways. Just figured I'd pop in and have a peek." He answered cheerily, placing emphasis on the 'p' in "pop", almost as if making the sound himself. "Also, I decided it would be nothing short of rude if I didn't thank you for directing me to the inn." He added friendlily.

"Ah, yeah..." Mr. Gold agreed, keeping his focus on the rag in his hand as he finished wiping up the counter before looking up, tossing his head to the side a bit to keep his long greying hair out of his face. Immediately, his dark brown eyes happened upon the tiny key that Henry kept on a chain around his neck, and Mr. Gold let up a crooked smile. "How charming." He commented, keeping his eyes on the key. "Now that's something you don't see every day. Forgive my impertinence Mr. Carlyle, but as an antique salesman, I keep an eye out for the un-ordinary. Might I have a look?" He asked, his Scottish accent having become thick in his speech. He abandoned the rag in his hand, leaving it on top of the counter and held out the palm of his hand, expecting to be handed the key.

Henry's warm expression quite instantly fell into that of defensive wariness, making no effort to disguise it. His hands twitched at his side as he slowly reached up to his neck, lifting the key up and over his head. He held it in his hand for just longer than a moment, contemplating as to whether to hand it to the enemy or not...finally, with a deep sigh, he hovered his closed hand over Mr. Gold's, releasing the key into his open palm.

Mr. Gold clasped the key tightly, pinching it between his fingers and holding it up to the dusty yellow light that the lamps in the shop gave off. He admired the key for a few moments, twisting it around in his fingertips and muttering a couple things under his breath.

"And how is it you come by this key, Mr. Carlyle? Judging from your...automobile...outside, you don't quite strike me as the collector type." He set the key on the counter between himself and Henry and then started to go through the stacks of books on his counter, as if looking for something.

Henry took a few moments to respond, trying to formulate a good answer in his head.

"Family heirloom." He settled on, letting confidence bloom in his tone once again. "It was given to me before I left home. Kept it with me ever since." He lied, his face not showing any sign of slipping; though the cold expression was still frozen on it.

"And having been passed on from family member to family member, the item of which that key belongs to has long since been lost." Mr. Gold guessed, walking to the opposite side of the counter where the books that had been dusted were separated. "As it so happens, I have a book that has been missing its key for quite some time..." He fingered through the spines of the books until he found what he was looking for and pulled out a small, very old book out from the bottom of one of the stacks and put it on the counter next to where he had set the key down.

The book was smaller than most, just large enough to fit fully in one's hand. It was leather bound, the material having become old and tattered throughout the years, whilst still showing signs of expert craftsmanship. The pages, however, were crookedly placed and almost translucently thin. On the front cover were decorative square-shaped engravings on all four corners, two larger, more elaborate engravings seemed to shoot across the front from the spine of the book. And on the edge of the front cover was a simple, small lock that held a leather clasp in place.

Henry's mouth was agape, his eyes rife with a mixture of remembrance and disbelief. The diary was destroyed - the key all he had left of Alice in this life. This was not possible.

"Perhaps..." Mr. Gold said interrupting Henry's thoughts. "...there was something more than just luck that brought you here to Storybrooke..."

Mr. Gold reached out for the key once more, and held the book gently by the spine while he eased the key into the lock. It slipped in easily, and with the turn of his wrist, there was a distinct 'click' sound. Mr. Gold stopped there, keeping the book unopened and now holding his dark eyes on Henry.

"After all this time." Henry commented in a hushed, almost reverent manner. "How did you find it?" He asked, looking Gold straight in the face. He could have it - her last words, the last essence of his sister that remained here...all he had to do was reach out: and take it. Unfortunately, he didn't think the pawnbroker would be so kind as to simply give the diary to him. Mr. Gold shrugged nonchalantly.

"There are a great number of items here in my shop, it's hard to say what came from where really." Clearing his throat, Mr. Gold twisted his wrist once more, locking the book back up tight and set the key back down in front of Henry, giving it back to him, though keeping a hold on the spine of the book, holding it close to his person as if protecting it. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, and then smiled. "How much is this little old book worth to you anyway? I'd be willing to part with it of course...for a price..."

"The question isn't what it's worth..." Henry began, swiping the key off the counter and into his pocket with an almost cat-like swiftness. "The real question is why you're so keen on keeping an old diary - without a key." He finished in a cold, business-like manner. He had taken enough risks with Rumpelstiltskin. It was time for the game to change.

"I'm a collector." Mr. Gold replied coolly, and with another, uncaring shrug. "Tell you what...I'd be willing to part with this old book in exchange for some of your volunteer work." Mr. Gold began to explain, and then set the book back down on the counter between the two of them, picking up the book he had been in the middle of dusting earlier when Henry had come in.

"You'd be helping me, actually, by solving a little problem Mayor Mills has come to me about recently..."

"A problem, you say?" Henry repeated, his eyes darting down to the book for a split second. "I might be interested." He added with a short nod, and a small smile - though this one lacked the usual cheeky happiness. Instead this smile seemed more fit for a plotting villain.

"How would you say you are with children?" Mr. Gold asked, pausing in his effort to dust the large book jacket. "We've seem to have fallen short of English teachers recently, you'd be doing me a kind service of filling that spot...temporarily of course...and getting the Mayor to stop talking my ear off about it." He split a sideways smile, flashing his golden capped teeth. "You put in whatever time you can during your short stay here, Mr. Carlyle, and the old book is yours."

Henry sat on the offer for a minute or two, his expression lighting up somewhat.

"Sure, I can teach. Consider it a deal." He accepted, quite hastily at that, and held out his hand for the older man to shake.

_"Better than gallivanting through realms to rescue disassociated doctors from London."_ He thought to himself with a small smirk tugging at the edge of his lips.

Mr. Gold released one of his hands from the book and shook Henry's hand across the counter, matching the travelers' smirk.

"Then I assume we are done here...unless there is something more I can help you with?" He said, briefly looking down at the book between them, a small sign that Henry was free to take it, as he retracted his hand to finish dusting off the book jacket in his hand.

"Nah, I think we're good here." Henry answered with a nod of gratitude, gently grabbing the book and tucking it under his right arm. However, before he could turn to leave, he let his eyes slowly move down to the book in Mr. Gold's hand: 'Once Upon A Time'. Though he hadn't recalled seeing the book before, he felt a certain yearning to read it; inexplicable, but there.

"Actually - do you mind if I take a look at that?" He asked Gold, stepping up to the counter once more. "I can pay you for this one."

"Oh what? This?" Mr. Gold turned the book around in his hands to take a look at the title and then tilted his head to the side just slightly, and then looked back to Henry. "I'm afraid I can't...actually..." He then replied and wiped off the last bit of remaining dust in the corner of the book. "I was actually cleaning this off for one of our hospital volunteers...there's a coma patient...been in there for years. One of the volunteers finds that reading to her to be easier than striking up a conversation, and I couldn't argue with that since no one knows who she really is..."

Henry nodded slowly as Mr. Gold explained why he couldn't hand over the book.

"Well..." Henry began, letting his hands fall into his coat pockets once again. "I might be able to go to the hospital, maybe I could read to this 'mystery patient', eh?" He offered, flashing his warm grin once again.

Mr. Gold looked at Henry with a thoughtful expression for a moment, a slight glint in his eye that vanished just as quickly as it came.

"Now what sort of man would I be if I kept a man from wanting to volunteer his time?" He asked with a rather coy, twisted grin. He set the book down on the counter and pushed it towards Henry. "Seek out Dr. Stevenson once you get there; she'll get you to where you need to go."

Henry nodded in acknowledgement, taking the second book from its place on the counter. "I thank you for your help, Mr. Gold. I owe you one." He finished.

_"As if I didn't bloody owe him enough..."_ He thought to himself bitterly before turning and heading towards the front door.

"Oh no..." Mr. Gold said quietly to himself as he watched Henry leave his shop. "...thank _you_."

XXX

Henry left the pawnshop feeling quite pleased with himself. One visit landed him his sister's diary, a new job, and now some kind of storybook. Perhaps Rumpelstiltskin's cursed counterpart wasn't so bad after all..

He reached into his pocket for his key, letting it go to its normal spot around his neck. The feel of the item against his neck gave him comfort, like a lifeline. He let his eyes close and let out a deep sigh before continuing on his journey - now to Storybrooke general hospital.

The drive wasn't too far, as it seemed all the important locations were conveniently placed not too far from each other. He was whistling some ancient song from about 80 years ago when he stepped through the automatic door, keeping both books tucked securely under his arm.

He stepped up to the receptionist's counter, offering a friendly smile of greeting before speaking. "Hello, I'm looking for a...Dr. Stevenson." He requested, rocking back and forth slightly as he looked about the sterilized environment that was the hospital.

The receptionist who had been staring and writing on the papers at her desk, looked up grumpily at Henry as she chewed her gum loudly. She sneered with a nasally voice,

"Dr. Stevenson is a busy woman. If you don't have an appointment or there's no emergency, then I suggest you wait." When it seemed that Henry wasn't making a move towards the chairs, she narrowed her gaze at him and warned "I'm watching you Mister...Watching,"

As soon as Henry was far enough away, the receptionist paged Dr. Stevenson.

Meanwhile, Dr. Stevenson walked down the halls speaking irritably to the second in command doctor, Faye's replacement if such an opportunity ever presented itself.

"Dr. Whale, You're supposed to check Leroy's throat _before _you prescribe him with medication! Now cancel that prescription!" She sighed as Dr. Whale walked off to do as Dr. Stevenson ordered. She received the paging from the receptionist counter, and she headed over. She reached the receptionist and she asked politely and in a friendly manner, "What seems to be the problem, Roz?"

The receptionist pointed and answered, with more respect towards Dr. Stevenson than she showed to Henry,

"That man wishes to see you, Dr. Stevenson."

Faye looked to where the receptionist was pointing and blinked at the sight of the stranger. Although incredibly curious, she shook off the slight shock and she walked up to the stranger.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Faye Stevenson. You wanted to see me?"

Henry almost couldn't believe his eyes when the doctor finally entered the waiting room - it was Dr. Jekyll...and yet, it wasn't. An echo…a ripple in the water, maybe. But not the "real" Jekyll.

"Oh, uh, hello." He greeted somewhat awkwardly, quickly regaining his composure. "Henry Carlyle, pleasure to meet you. I came here to find out information about reading to a coma patient...something along those lines?" He inquired, still getting over the strange feeling of seeing someone who could be considered a 'friend' now as a complete stranger in front of him.

"Oh! You're here to volunteer! I'm sure Ms. Doe would be happy to have someone read to her!"

Of course Faye was making a mental note to keep an eye on the stranger and have his background checked. It was better to be safe than sorry and lose a patient's life. She said to him, her smile still on her face, "Please follow me. I'll show you to Ms. Doe," She then turned to lead him to the back room where Jane Doe was.

As she walked down the halls with the stranger, she told him in a friendly tone,

"The rules for volunteering are quite simple. Just come in during visiting hours, and read to her during that time. We'll have your volunteer badge ready for you the next time you come. If she wakes up, hit the 'Call Nurse' button on her bed."

Henry nodded in understanding.

Faye then started a bit of small talk as they continued walking,

"So, Mr. Carlyle, was it? What brings you to our quaint little town?"

Henry's face took on the expression of slight discomfort at her question, but masked it immediately as he replied,

"Oh, I dunno, wanted a slight change of pace to something smaller - more peaceful." He answered with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "New York was too busy for me, but I feel I could love this town." He finished hopefully with a small smile as they both walked down the hall.

"I see. I do hope you enjoy your stay in Storybrooke," Faye smiled as they then reached the door that led into Jane Doe's room, and she stated, "Ah, here we are." She lifted the badge to the scanner and unlocked the door, opening it and let Henry and herself in. "Here she is."

Henry stepped through after Faye did, stepping into the main body of the room; only to be hit by another shock. The woman on the bed was no Jane Doe - at least not to him. The same black hair (albeit much shorter), the pale skin, even the color of her lips which still carried a hint of red.

He slowly approached the bed, no other sounds around him except for the steady _beeping_ of the heart monitor.

"Snow..." He said in a hushed tone, just barely above a whisper as he looked down upon the only person who he ever let come close to him since Alice...and she was a husk.

Faye blinked in surprise when Henry had a look of shock cross his face and she watched as he slowly approached the bed. After he stated that one word in a whisper, and she asked,

"Snow?" After she caught his attention, she said to him, "Mr. Carlyle, do you know something? Please let me know. It is important that we contact her family and friends, they may be very worried about her…"

Henry was silent, still as a statue as his eyes were plastered on the woman who was his friend - his only friend, whom he believed to be dead. Hearing Faye's voice, he turned his head slowly, his face grim and serious.

"No...no, I don't know her. She just, reminded me of someone I knew once..." He looked back at Snow for a moment. "I have no idea who this person is." He said as a final word, his voice quiet and shaky.

Faye raised an eyebrow at his answer. From his tone of voice, she could guess that Henry was remembering something traumatic, but she couldn't shake off the gut feeling that he was lying. She sighed through her nose and she said sadly,

"I see. That's unfortunate…"

"Yes. Quite." Henry responded in a curt manner, letting his fists clench and unclench to release some of the shock. "Is there anything else you needed to cover with me for volunteering, doctor?" He asked in a neutral tone, trying to switch the subject.

"No, no. I believe I have told you all that you need to know. I will be in here as you read to Jane Doe though, as a precaution," She shrugged and then said optimistically, "Who knows? Maybe she'll wake up as you read to her."

"Maybe...maybe." Henry repeated, forcing a small smile of hollow optimism. He sauntered to the corner of the room, grabbing one of the chairs by the armrest and pulling it closer to the bed. He sat down, making sure to obscurely hide the diary in his coat pocket before opening the larger book. "Well, let's begin, shall we?" He asked, knowing full well there would be no response. "Let's start with a personal favorite of mine: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." He proclaimed with a genuine smile before beginning to read aloud from the book.

"Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice `without pictures or conversation?'  
>So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her..."<p>

**Author's Note:**

**Kind of a blah chapter, but hey, introductions can't be all sword fights and monsters now can it? Things will pick up next chapter, I promise, and then after things pick up, you'll be begging me to slow down with all the shenanigans that will ensue :)**

**Also I want to thank my friends Major Ursa and Guardian Angel Haruki for the inspiration behind Knox and Dr. Stevenson, thanks again guys!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Rabbit Hole

**Author's Note:**

**Opening Chapter 3 on a slightly more…interesting note haha. Payment for your patience throughout chapter 2. See? I can be nice :)**

The little bell connected to the entry door of Mr. Gold's shop 'dinged,' however this time Mr. Gold didn't even bother looking up as he was busy wiping down the very last book of its grime and dust, not to mention that he already knew who it was that was coming to see him.

"Madam Mayor." Mr. Gold said civilly, setting the final book down on top of one of the stacks of clean books lying on the counter top. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Regina made her way to the back of the shop and rested her elbow on the counter top, turning sideways though so she could still keep a close eye on him.

"Rumor has it, a stranger rolled into town this morning. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" Regina asked, her voice still calm and collected.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Mr. Gold flashed Regina a wry smile and used the dust rag to start wiping down his counter. "I showed him to Granny's Bed and Breakfast early this morning-"

"You did what?" Regina asked flatly, though there was an undertone of anger hidden just beneath it.

"He was looking for a place to stay, and I showed him one." Mr. Gold answered in a slow, easy to understand sentence, as if talking to a child. Regina narrowed her light brown eyes, clearly not appreciating the latter comment.

"Well?" She then asked, causing Mr. Gold to look up from the counter he had been wiping down.

"Well what?" He asked innocently.

"What did you learn about him? Where did he come from? What's he doing here?"

Mr. Gold just let out a small, airy laugh, his lips turning up at the corners of his mouth.

"_You're_ the Mayor...you can find that out on your own." Mr. Gold jabbed at her. "All I managed to get was his name...what was it again?" He snapped his fingers, remembering. "Ah, yeah, Henry!"

Regina's narrowed eyes snapped open and her mouth hung open just a bit, but Mr. Gold kept going as if he hadn't noticed.

"Not a very common name around here, is it? Henry..." He said again. "Wasn't that the name of your dearly departed father? The one you go visit every Wednesday with an arm-full of flowers?" There was a slight hint of mockery in Mr. Gold's voice, and Regina caught onto it straight away, causing her eyes to narrow once more.

"Yes..." She said plainly, letting the word draw out, making it clear that she was thinking on something.

"Well, if that's all you've come to me for, I'm afraid I have no other information to give you. Now if you'll excuse me..." Mr. Gold quickly dismissed Regina from his shop, but the Mayor had no intention of leaving. With this...stranger walking about...she only had more questions. She slammed her hands down on the edge of the counter, making it clear to Mr. Gold that she was indeed, not finished, however just as she opened her mouth to protest, Mr. Gold finished his sentence with a simple, "...please..."

Regina looked shocked as she found herself straightening up, and her feet starting to carry her out the door. Upon her exit, the small bell rang again, and Mr. Gold stopped to watch the door close with a golden grin on his face.

XXX

It was late afternoon by the time Henry entered his room at the inn, storybook tucked securely under his arm. Reading to Snow left a calm, almost surreal feel to his heart at the thought that he could wake her back up - _possibly_...

The music that sounded through his headphones let him put the present troubles at ease as he closed the door behind him with a distinct _click_. He cut the music from his tape player, procuring it from its place at his belt, letting it rest on the bedside table.

He removed Alice's diary from his coat pocket; staring at it deeply before gently placing it atop his dresser, deciding that now was not the time to read Alice's last thoughts. He held the storybook with both hands now as he walked over to the desk at the far side of the room, opening it up slowly to examine it closer.

He pulled out one of the desk drawers, lifting out a magnifying glass to closely examine the book. He had read a bit of 'Alice in Wonderland' to Snow, but hadn't given the rest of the book any thought. Before beginning, he put on his glasses with a quiet _clacking_ noise, pushing the lens up to his eyes.

He flipped through the pages with deft, nimble fingers; showing extreme care to avoid tearing any of the pages. The book seemed to contain most every fairy tale ever written, decorated with detailed, artistic illustrations portraying the scenes being played at the time. The story of Snow White, Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella, Rapunzel, The Little Mermaid, Little Red Riding hood - any story imaginable.

Henry spent a great deal of time simply reading the stories that, where he came from, was a history; a timeline. He let himself become engrossed, not paying attention to the slowly setting sun until he had studied every page of the book, closing the back cover.

He stood up from the desk, and realized now the importance of his mission. He was the Curse-breaker, the savior of the Enchanted Forest. Jane Doe, Faye, even Mr. Gold were only echoes of their former selves. A poor, insulting mockery of their true source. He had to save them - had to save all of them. Because he knew it was what Alice would have wanted. He clutched at his key in remembrance, and could almost hear her feisty voice goading him on:

_"Well, what are you waiting for? The Curse isn't going to break itself, you know! You get to be the hero now, Henry. For me..."_

Henry shuddered for a moment, blinking rapidly until he could regain his composure back into reality. If there was one thing he knew now, though - it was that he needed a drink.

XXX

The sky was starting to turn a deep purple color as the last beams of sunlight were hiding behind them. Henry found a parking space and exited the car hastily, adjusting his glasses as he examined the sign confirming he had reached the right location.

"Clever title, that. Though I doubt Rabbit would appreciate a bar being named after him." He commented to himself with a half-smile as he thought of the outburst the creature would throw, were he here to witness this.

With a shrug, Henry entered the building; the smell of cigarette smoke and booze hitting him like a freight train. The lighting, at best, was dim; with only a few lamps and candles to light up the place. There were a few tables spread across the interior and a number of pool tables for entertainment. A long wooden bar stood at the back end with all sorts of beverages lined up to purchase.

Henry found himself a random table prepared to seat 4, checking his cell phone for the time as he awaited his companions.

Not too far away from the table, Ruby was already at play; hunched over the green fabric of one of the half-dozen pool tables with a pool stick placed carefully between her knuckles on one hand and using the other to control the power of her shot. With a quick overview of the position of the stripes and solids, Ruby tapped the white ball cue and watched as the green striped ball sink into the far corner. There was an audible groan of a few men standing at the table next to her, and soon they were pulling out crumpled up dollar bills, throwing them onto the pool table center and taking their leave.

"Sorry boys, maybe tomorrow night." Smiling, Ruby collected the green and stuffed them into her bra underneath The translucent white half t-shirt she was wearing, the same shirt she had been wearing at the diner only now...away from the work place, there was only a single button keeping the shirt together, having no shame whatsoever about the fact that her red lace bra covered up more of her than her shirt did; at least the bra matched the red streaks in her hair.

Henry put his phone back in his pocket, noticing Ruby quite efficiently defeat a multitude of opponents in pool. After this initial observation, he took in her outfit, or lack thereof; raising his eyebrows in mischievous curiosity.

He walked over to where she still stood by the pool table, reaching into his coat and pulling out a pack of cigarettes, grabbing one before putting the rest of the pack away.

"Got a light?" He asked with a feisty grin.

Ruby took a minute to set the pool stick down, leaning it against the pool table before approaching Henry with an equally mischievous grin, pressing out her chest to him just slightly.

"If you can find it..." she purred.

The clock on the wall ticked to the exact hour right before _she_ came into the Rabbit Hole. The men in the bar turned their attention to her once again. In came the mysterious woman of the rumors. She wore a nice short black dress that flattered her body greatly, and yet had a classy air, unlike Ruby's attire.

Her hips swayed as she walked, and she flipped her hair out of the way when it fell into her eyes, and a smile played on her face. She caught sight of Henry, who was with the town whore, and her grin grew wider. She sent a coy wink his way, as her heels clicked as she went to sit at the bar. At the bar she ordered the bartender in a smooth voice.

"Scotch on the rocks, sweetheart," The bartender hurriedly got what she asked for.

Ruby's attention quickly moved from Henry to the woman just entering the Rabbit Hole and her red lips fell from their smirk, clearly unhappy to see the woman.

"Oh God...her..." she said with an obvious air of disdain just loud enough for only Henry to hear.

Henry looked quite confused at the new woman who just entered the bar.

"Who's that, then?" He asked in a voice matching the volume of Ruby's. "I take it she has a bit of a...reputation around here?" He added, intrigued.

Ruby turned around to face Henry directly, putting her back to the woman and blocking his view of her, her face once playful and bright now firm and serious.

"There aren't many people here in Storybrooke...it's easy to know everything about everyone. I can tell you the names of everyone here in this bar; where they live...even their favorite color..." Ruby turned just slightly to look over her shoulder at the woman. "...except her...no one knows who she is, where she came from or where she lives." She turned back to face Henry. "Its'...it's just weird..."

"Well..." Henry began with an offbeat nod of his head, taking off his glasses as he did so. "It doesn't look like she's doing any harm right now. You don't know much about me either, do you?" He asked Ruby with an almost seductive smirk, just the right amount to show interest without being overbearing.

XXX

Stepping into the bar, Knox took note of the strong scent of smoke and alcohol…but he paid this no actual mind. Walking on over to a table in the back, Knox checked his cellphone for texts, but shut it off and took his seat when he saw none. The table didn't look clean enough, and he ate breakfast at a certain diner where a certain waitress didn't know how to clean tables correctly. Speaking of a certain waitress, he couldn't help but notice her on the other side of the room, hanging off of newcomer. That was no business of his.

Knox came here to do one thing and one thing alone…and that was to have his few drinks, company or no company. Then…he could get home and check those damn hospital sign-in logs and watch those hours long security footage for his damn anomalies. Waiting a minute for the server to come over, he asked for the strongest drink they had. With strong alcohol tolerance, if not the closest thing to immunity to it, he'd need it strong.

The mysterious woman noticed that Ruby was distracting Henry, but she only smirked. Two could play at this game. She scanned the bar, and soon landed eyes on the man in the back. He was quite attractive with his long hair and disheveled appearance, and her smile grew wider. She stood up from the bar, taking her scotch with her, and as she sat at his table, she greeted smoothly, her black irises eyes staring at him.

"Hey there. Mind if I joined you?"

Snapping out of a near boredom stupor, Knox gazed at the woman…all he could say was that she had a similar level of attractiveness to Ruby, though to a different style, she was strongly confident in herself, and she already had some to drink but she didn't seem to have drunk enough, as she seemed solidly sober. Meeting her eyes, the eyes of a predator, Knox tilted his head ever so slightly opened his mouth to speak to her, the corners curling down to and obvious half frown matched to his slightly furrowed eyebrows.

"Yes, I do mind."

The woman sniffed in mock hurt.

"Ouch. Giving me the cold shoulder are we? How cruel!" She crossed her legs, not to appeal to Knox, but to Henry who she could feel staring at her. "You're quite the heartbreaker aren't you? Strong, tall, and quite handsome. How many hearts _have_ you broken?" She leaned towards his ear, and her bone chilling breath tickled at his ear as she whispered in his ear. "It's a good way of getting yourself _hurt_,"

She leaned away from him and smiled before drinking some of the scotch poured for her earlier, her eyes still directly on Knox, and her peripheral vision on Henry.

Ruby watched the entire spectacle from her standpoint beside Henry, her eyes narrowed as she realized that this..._girl_ found Knox before she had.

"You want a light?" Ruby asked Henry, picking up their previous conversation. "You got one." She left Henry's side and stormed over to Knox and the girl, her red heels clicking loudly on the linoleum and didn't stop until she had reached the table. "Actually...he's with me." Ruby told her hotly before glancing over at Henry. "They both are, so I suggest you do your fishing elsewhere."

Henry could do little from his spot except watch the altercation unfold quite suddenly. He found his feet moving towards Ruby's position near Knox's table, but more relaxed and easygoing than her obviously angry storm.

He let his tongue roll about in his mouth for a bit while waiting for this to be over, looking quite curiously at the unknown girl. She was attractive, no doubt. But something was off, the way she looked at people - as if they were prey to be chased and slaughtered, naturally giving off a sense of caution and wariness. Henry made a mental note to keep a safe distance from this one.

The woman's gaze moved from Knox to Ruby when she stood over her and spoke angrily. It amused the woman that Ruby was so angry, but she didn't show it. Instead she remained calm, the smile still on her face as she retorted to Ruby,

"Now, now, there's no need to project your actions onto me. I'm just making conversation. Besides, falsely accusing people is no way to behave in front of our guest." She nodded pointedly to Henry. She stood up from the booth and walked past Ruby, and as she did, she whispered into Ruby's ear, "You know, green really isn't your color."

The woman without a name then walked closer to Henry and she said to him in a friendly and still smooth and seductive manner,

"Well, I've never seen you before. Welcome to Storybrooke,"

Pursing his lips in a very peeved manner, Knox stood up from his seat and dismissed the server with his beer…he wasn't in the mood for drinks anymore; he could feel a migraine coming on. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out his wallet and pulled a twenty from it. Pushing past Ruby, without a word, he went over to the lady who he really couldn't care to know the name of, tapping her on the shoulder…before rather audaciously sticking the rolled up twenty right into the top of her dress, in the cleavage. This whole time, Knox had a rather annoyed expression as he turned and left out the front; the bar just about fell silent at this spectacle.

Knox…he wasn't the easiest to read, but at this moment, it seemed quite evident that he thought the woman nothing more than a lowly hooker. The polite thing to him was to at least pay her for her damn time wasted, even if she only served to annoy the hell out of him.

"Well, that was most certainly rude and uncalled for!" The woman said after shaking off her initial shock of the spectacle. She took out the twenty and she handed it to Ruby saying, "Here, you can have it,"

Ruby eyed the twenty and then narrowed her eyes at the woman. She snatched the money away from her and shot a quick, apologetic look to Henry before quickly following Knox outside.

The woman shrugged and commented out loud,

"I guess that's what I get for trying to make friends, huh?"

Henry could do little as the events unfolded around him. Before he knew it, he found himself alone with the predatory woman who seemed strangely...enticing. Letting out a deep sigh of exasperation, he hailed the bartender, ordering himself a glass of red wine to drink. Might as well enjoy what shambles of the evening were left.

The woman ordered another glass of scotch, and once she had it, downed it quickly. She was silent and pensive, and as she remained pensive, the woman felt the familiar sharp pang in her heart. She shook her head and tried to ignore whatever it was that she felt.

"So. Do you go to bars very often?" She asked, shifting her black eyes back to Henry.

Henry jumped slightly as the woman spoke to him, obviously not expecting such an occurrence, figuring she had grown bored of him already.

"Nah, not often." He began, taking a sip of his drink before speaking again. "But that's not to say occasionally. I can safely say that this is the most interesting one, though." He added with an amused expression that veiled that still-present caution.

The woman chuckled amused, and she commented,

"Yeah. Makes the name fit the bar huh? We all are a little mad here, or so they say." She chuckled darkly to herself. "So, what do you like to do? You seem like a very intelligent person."

Henry smirked at her first comment, noting the phrase commonly applied to the story - to his world. His expression, however, turned to one of confusion at her inquiry. Not many people had specifically asked him what he liked to do...and now that he'd thought on it, there wasn't much that came to mind.

"Well..." He began, clearing his throat before speaking again. "I like to read, fun little hobby. I'm not too shabby at the piano...and...I'm not so sure." He finally said, wondering if the lack of hobbies was a bad thing or not.

"I see…" The woman winced suddenly as she felt the pain in her heart suddenly increase. "As much as I would love to stay and get to know you more, I have to go." She quickly paid the bartender and got up to leave.

"Be seein' you around." Henry said in a neutral tone, finishing his own drink as he watched her walk out. Paying the bartender for his own drinks, he waited a sufficient amount of time before deciding to find out who this 'mystery woman' was. He left the bar quietly and started at a cautious, slow pace, hoping to find at least _something_ about this infamous stranger.

The woman kept on walking and she walked from the bar and headed towards the park. When she reached the park, she stopped and she turned to see Henry nearby.

"You know, if you wanted to spend more time with me, you could've just asked." She said pointedly.

"Seemed rather important, figured I'd watch from a distance, so to speak." Henry replied, approaching her at a rather slow pace but with a certain swagger to his step, no longer needing to hide after being found out. "You've piqued my interest, that much is certain." He commented with a smirk.

The woman smiled.

"I'm glad. But, it's nothing important, I'm just heading home." Thinking on something, she couldn't help but to ask, "I don't suppose you would want to meet again some other night?"

"Sure, we'll call it a date - well...not a date, more like a...gathering of sorts." After stuttering a few more times he finally cleared his throat and spoke simply, "I'm staying at Granny's, more likely than not, I'll be there." He grinned in an almost wild fashion before turning on his heel to leave.

The woman chuckled at his expense.

"I'll look for you there then. It's a date," She then waved to him and calmly called "Ciao~!" as she turned and left as well. She entered Dr. Faye Stevenson's home through the back door and settled herself in a large fabric chair. She inhaled quickly and the woman started to physically change into, none other, Faye Stevenson. She shook her head and mumbled in confusion as she attempted to nurse an oncoming headache,

"What...happened?"

XXX

By the time Henry had walked back to his car and drove back to Granny's, it was late in the evening, the sky completely dark with only the moon and stars to light the way aside from the occasional street lamp.

He parked right by the bed & breakfast, tapping something akin to a beat on the steering wheel as the car rumbled to a stop.

He rubbed his eyes as he got out of the car, humming something to himself as he closed the car door, locking it in the process. Turning on his heel, he started to make his way towards the front door, oblivious to the woman leaning against the hood of a black 560 LS Mercedes Benz with her arms crossed over her chest.

"So you must be the new guy." Regina's voice called out to Henry from behind him. She opted not to move from her relaxed position leaning against her car, and instead kept her arms folded over her chest, her eyes looking Henry's vehicle up and down with a look on her face as if a cat had just vomited on her heels.

Henry stopped mid-stride as he heard the cutting voice ask him a question.

"Popular today, aren't I?" He mumbled under his breath before turning, managing a smile even when looking into the face of the Evil Queen.

"You would be correct, madam. Henry Carlyle, pleasure to meet you." He greeted, holding out his hand to shake and praying to whatever God there was that she wasn't offended by such an action.

Regina took one look at his hand, and didn't even so much as budge her own arms.

"Such a civil, formal greeting..." She said with what almost sounded like a sneer. "...and yet you have no idea who I am..." Regina removed herself from leaning against her car and walked a small semi-circle around Henry, stopping only when her back was to his car, now leaning her back against the rear passenger side door; mostly because she just didn't want to look at it. Finally, Regina stuck out her hand to shake his, plastering on what didn't even look like a half-assed attempt of a smile.

"Regina Mills, Mayor. I simply stopped by to introduce myself. We don't get many visitors here in Storybrooke, so as you can imagine, word of your arrival reached me pretty quickly. As mayor, I take it upon myself to...get to know our guests, make sure they have everything they need to make their stay here more...comfortable..."

Henry shook her hand with a bow of his head and a smile, attempting to diffuse any suspicion or hostility at this time.

"Well, a fine pleasure to meet you, Madam Mayor. I believe this meeting is more than mere coincidence. I heard you were having an issue with employment in the school...English, I think. So I have taken it upon myself to offer my services as a substitute until a more suitable replacement can be found - not to sully my own ability, mind you." He finished, placing both hands in his coat pockets.

Immediately, Regina's black eyebrow raised as she folded her hands back into her arms across her chest.

"You've talked to Mr. Gold..." Regina observed, rolling her eyes and breathing out quickly through her nose in annoyance; not directed towards Henry though, as she looked away from him while doing so, and then looked back to him. "I'm afraid I am in no need of _your_ services, Mr. Carlyle. I simply cannot hire a complete stranger into our school district where the safety of our children is most concerned."

Her tone was flat, with just a tinge of belittling on the underside, though there was no effort on her part to hide it; almost as if it were on purpose.

"Besides..." She went on, speaking normally once again. "...you're just passing through." It wasn't said as an assumption, but more of a demand, and Regina split her lips to a soft, white smile.

"That's fair enough, I suppose. But if you happen to change your mind, I'll be here a couple weeks." Henry informed, still keeping a friendly composure even though all instincts said to turn and run. "So, uh...nice town you got here! It's got a quaint, sort of rustic feel to it. What's the word I'm looking for; ah, yes, _charm_. Good work!" He complimented whilst subtly rocking back and forth on his feet.

"A few weeks?" Regina repeated with a soft laugh in her throat, apparently this amused her. She skipped right over the part he played into about how 'charming' the town was and cut straight to the chase. "And just what _is_ your business here in Storybrooke that would warrant such an elaborate vacation?"

"I wanted to go somewhere more quiet, peaceful. New York is a _terrible_ place to live if you want peace and quiet-"

"Try a library." Regina interjected quickly.

"...So a couple week's stay felt best for a reprieve before I head back. I already paid at the inn...is there a problem?" He asked, though not in an accusing manner, but instead playing on the ignorant tourist trope.

Regina's eyes closed for a moment as she let out another soft exhale, contradicting her next words.

"No." She said looking back upon Henry turning her lips into a sweet smile. "No problem at all. In fact...why don't you stop by my place tomorrow evening for dinner? At least that way I can welcome you properly for your prolonged stay..."

"Well..." Henry began, as if thinking on the offer whilst letting his eyes wander down to the mayor's rather ample bosom (to which he subtly seemed pleased about) before eventually responding.

"That sounds lovely! Should be a nice evening." He said cheerily, not letting that grin fade from his face.

Regina adjusted her arms a bit that had remained folded across her chest as a clear indication of her catching him looking at her and non-verbally saying 'yeah, I know...'

"Then I'll see you tomorrow." She said tilting her head to the side thoughtfully at him, keeping her same, sweet smile on her lips. "Shall we say...6:30?" She let up her smile to smirk just a bit and began to walk back to her car, not even giving the chance for Henry to respond. She was in control here, not him. She pulled open her car door and began to slide herself in when her eyes happened upon the clock tower for the first time that day, losing all control of her poker face when she realized that it was working.

Her eyes shot from the clock tower to Henry, and then back to the clock with a mixture of shock and confusion written across her face, though said nothing as she pulled herself into the driver's seat and slammed the car door shut, starting up the engine with more force than what was necessary.

Henry did little but offer a short wave before heading towards the door to the inn once again.

"Why are all the evil ones attractive?" He asked himself before heading inside the Bed and Breakfast.

Trying to be as quiet as possible as he walked up the old, creaky steps to his room, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding once he stepped into his room. Dinner with the Evil Queen - he had no idea how he managed to rope himself into that one.

"It's alright, Chesh, just gotta go to dinner, make small talk, and leave with hopefully no injury. What could go wrong?" He asked himself bitterly. He removed his coat, letting it fall messily to the floor - he would worry about cleanliness another day. His eyes wandered over to Alice's diary that remained at its same spot on the bedside table.

Overcome with curiosity, Henry figured now would be the best time to see what exactly his sister had left for him. No doubt, if she were alive, she would be more than furious at him pilfering through her personals, but he believed he was now exempt from that rule.

He lifted the key from its place around his neck and easily inserted it into the keyhole (which had not seemed to rust or degrade over time). With a twist of his wrist, a small _click_ signaled that the key had worked and Henry let the leather clasp open, leaving only the cover to hide what was within.

"This is it." He said in a hushed voice, letting a single hand glide across the leather of the cover, grasping it with a firm, but gentle hand. He swept the cover open, face bright with anticipation before falling suddenly.

A multitude of emotions seemed to rush across his visage in a single moment: confusion, worry, fear, then anger.

"No..." He finally said, voice just barely above a hoarse whisper - the page in front of him was completely empty. Devoid of any drawings or writing, the paper fresh as a new day. "No, no, no, no." He continued muttering in disbelief as he rushed through the rest of the pages, all of them completely blank.

Feeling hot tears of pain and rage sting at the edge of his eyes, Henry knocked the entire bedside table to the floor with a single swipe of his arm; not caring at the loud, resounding _crash_ it made upon impact, the lamp sputtering before dying.

Henry paced about the room furiously, ignoring the sharp pain rushing through his hand from knocking the table over; running them messily through his hair, as if trying to comprehend what had just occurred. Suddenly, realization hit him like a slap to the face and, with as much venom and hatred as he could conjure in his voice, he uttered a single word –

"Gold." Even in this new land, with no magic, no memories, and no identity, Rumpelstiltskin still managed to toy with him - like a plaything, a pawn in some giant game to be tortured for the Dark One's own amusement. His decision to toss out the memory potion no longer hung over him like a heavy burden; no, that bastard could spend the rest of his days without his memories.

To save himself from destroying any more property that wasn't his, Henry gathered his coat back on and left his room, determined to walk off his frustration.

**Author's Note:**

**Jesus Christ Henry, you're in Storybrooke less than 24 hours and already you're causing all sorts of trouble! Welp, it's to be expected is it not? I hope you all enjoyed the touch of drama here, and I assure you there is much more to come!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Poisons of Our World

**Author's Note:**

**Wrapping up most of the evening with this chapter, the next will be the final bits to end the day. So many feels went into this one, I just HAD to end on a somewhat *lighter* note. Enjoy!**

Ruby quickly rushed outside to catch up with Knox; it was a bit difficult though as it seemed every man in the bar between her and the door had something to say to the scantily clothed woman or try to grab a part of her body to keep her from leaving, but for the first time in what seemed like forever, Ruby wasn't interested. Still holding fast to the twenty dollar bill in her hand, she pushed herself outside just in time to see Knox round the corner.

"Knox! Knox wait!" Ruby pleaded, doing her best to try to keep track of him in her heels and tight shorts, preventing her from being able to walk too quickly.

Hearing the combination of calling for him, the click-clacking of heels behind him…Knox simply just wanted to keep walking at a steady pace, just have her naturally fall behind in the distance. That'd be irresponsible, of course. The man had a feeling she wouldn't just give up, and either she was going to try something stupid like running, and break her heels and hurt herself, or she was going to end up losing him and walk through the dark alone. A thing of chivalry would say that he'd need to escort the lady back home after dark, and in the back of his mind called it a small sexist assumption that she needed a man to protect herself.

Taking two steps forward, Knox let out a small frustrated sigh, before turning around to address Ruby,

"Pardon me, I didn't mean to ruin your game. You can go back to Henry, now."

Ruby faced Knox dead on, her face rigid and ungiving.

"I didn't go to The Rabbit Hole because of him. I went there because of _you_." What was supposed to come out as a compliment instead came out sounding rather hot and annoyed as she reached out to take his hand harshly and stuffed the twenty-dollar bill inside of it. "It was a stupid idea for inviting him along in the first place." Her eyes glanced down quickly to the money that she had just placed in his hand. "And as much as I think that harlot deserved what you did to her...I couldn't live with myself knowing she took your money; you could have used that to buy me a couple drinks instead you know." Her tone calmed down some, returning to her normal speech. It was clear she was still annoyed about what had happened, but she was at least trying to make an effort to make light of the situation.

Giving Ruby a rather pointed look, that drinks comment made him want to stick the twenty into her dress now, but Knox strangled the impulse in its crib. Pocketing the twenty, with no further comments on the issue he replied,

"Thank you. Now, you can go back." His hand pointed back to the bar. "I had a great time. Enjoyed the sweet air and atmosphere to the place, had a couple of drinks, a conversation with a beautiful woman…yes, you really showed me a good time. Put that big smile you wanted on my face." Saying that with a bitter edge of sarcasm, he was anything but smiling…but, internally, calmed enough to say what he wanted to say. Having a hard time looking at her eyes now after what he had said, though, "You can go back to Henry now, I understand that it's not often that we have the new and interesting type for you to meet at a bar." His eyes softened a little bit when he looked at her, but he turned away in what could only be described as a rather grumpy manner, "Besides, you can always find me at the diner at the same time and place."

"Screw Henry!" Ruby found herself shouting, and then immediately bit down on her lower lip. "No, no I didn't mean-" She sighed and threw up her hands in the air before crossing them over her chest. "I meant...forget him..." She aptly corrected herself and managing to keep her voice down. "I'm not going back, not until I've had my drink with you and learn at least-" She mumbled a few numbers under her breath, counting on her fingers. "-five interesting things about you."

She paused for a moment, just to look at him; taking in his rugged features and noticing the soft expression he was giving her as he looked back. It was strange...less than twenty-four hours ago, Ruby hadn't even given Knox a second glance...but suddenly...ever since that morning at Granny's Diner, she had this overwhelming sense to...talk with him at least. It almost felt like whatever Gods that were up there were using their hands, trying to push her towards him; whether or not he felt the same way was yet to be seen, but it was a feeling she couldn't ignore.

"Let's go back to Granny's, it's quiet this time of night, and it just so happens I know a waitress there that would be willing to add double shots at a discounted price." She winked, not in a flirty manner, but one that indicated that she was of course talking about herself. "No Henry, no no-one, just you and me until you crack that smile, and when you do...well...then you can get rid of me, but I'm not going anywhere until I see it. Oh! And the five interesting things...that part too..."

Knox didn't seem entirely pleased by this development…he didn't smile? Knox smiled all the time…! Well, he swore he did. If by now Ruby hadn't seen it, he felt her requirement for a smile was far out of reach for anyone. As well, he didn't know how he felt about the whole 'five interesting things' part, it made him sound like a baseball card…a collectable. Still, something about her whole disposition in this told him to go with her, even if the greater part of his logical mind just said to leave.

"Don't tell me, you intend to serve me cheesy fries?"

"Well I was hoping to keep that part a secret until we got there." Ruby was unable to help but smile and then nodded her head in the direction of Granny's. "C'mon, if we go now I can still probably get you a fresh batch."

"...I'll have you know, I actually eat a healthier dinner to compensate for an unhealthy breakfast." Saying this, the man was now actively dragging Ruby behind him on his way to Granny's. Ruby couldn't help but to smile up at the man that towered over her, a knowing look in her eye.

"See? That's one interesting thing! Just four more to go!" She chided cheerily and did her best to keep up with his long strides in her heels and tight red shorts.

XXX

Turning the key to the left, Mr. Gold took careful measures to make sure that his pawn shop was locked up tight before depositing the key ring into his suit jacket pocket and began the short walk back home. The stone stairs leading up to his porch seemed just a bit more difficult to climb that night, having to rely heavily on his cane to do most of the work his right leg was unable to do, but eventually made it to the colorful stain-glass double doors of his estate, unlocked them, and walked inside.

Once in the comfort of his home, he limped heavily past the entryway and into the living room where he leaned his cane up against one of the end tables and shrugged himself out of his suit jacket, placing it neatly on the arm of the couch before taking a seat in an old, Victorian-styled chair. The decor of his home was not all that different in style as he had a couch and tables to match, each table filled with what one could call 'useless junk' ranging from things between standing globes and maps to antique china and an old radio collecting dust in the corner.

Pulling the tie loose from the collar of his deep red shirt, Mr. Gold bent forward to reach for the glass bottle of scotch on the coffee table in front of him, managing to keep a steady hand as he poured the liquid into a crystal glass held in his other hand. He filled the glass to the brim, and carefully brought it to his lips and slammed the drink back, taking it all down with no more than two gulps. Setting down the now empty glass on the table in front of him, he grit his teeth as a shooting pain crossed his back for the fourth time that day but refused to utter a sound despite being completely alone in his home.

He bent forward once more to refill his glass, however this time he left the glass on the table as his now free hand moved over to pluck a double-wide cigarette from a pack lying just to the right of the glass colander that held the scotch. Putting the cigarette between his lips, he lit it before finally reaching for his second glass, and eased into resting his back against the chair. He took a few drags of the stick a few times before taking a drink from the crystal glass, though this time being more conservative about his intake.

He lulled in the silence for a few moments, ignoring the pain that was now crossing into his chest and took another drink each time he felt his airway starting to constrict. Although he was alone in his home, there was that feeling of something staring at him that he was unable to shake, although he knew exactly what it was. Finally succumbing to it, Mr. Gold turned his head to look at the small display of china on the end table next to the couch not seven feet away from him, and stared back at the chipped teacup.

With a progressively, unexplainable up-rise in anger, the crystal glass in his hand suddenly shattered under the pressure of his firm grip, The glass itself was practically empty and therefore only a few droplets of the liquid splashed down onto his shirt. His attention was quickly pulled from the teacup and to his hand where the half-broken glass still remained, a small drizzle of crimson running down his palm and dripping off of his wrist. With a more tired than agitated sigh, Mr. Gold set the bloodied glass back down on the coffee table and got up from his chair, keeping the still-lit cigarette clenched tightly between his teeth and grabbed his cane.

He couldn't be here...not right now, it was a mistake to close the shop early and come home. Leaving his suit jacket on the arm of the couch and his tie hanging loosely around his neck; even ignoring the fact that his hand was still bleeding, Mr. Gold headed back to the front doors and made his way outside, heavily breathing in the cool night air of Storybrooke. Hopefully, a walk was all he needed; to clear his head and think of only why he was here.

**_Many, many years ago..._**

_The front door of the small cottage opened wide and Rumpelstiltskin limped in, aided by his walking stick in his right hand while carrying a basket of fresh fruits and vegetables in the other._

_"Milah? Bae?" He called out, alerting his family to his arrival back home from the market. "I'm home." He quickly shut the door behind him and walked to the center of the small room, finding his four year old daughter sitting alone in a wooden chair beside the table._

_"Papa?" She called out quietly. Rumpelstiltskin made his way over to her, albeit slowly._

_"Where's mum?" He asked the child. She said nothing, however, and instead sniffed back a tiny, frightened tear. Rumpelstiltskin frowned and swallowed hard, she had done it again; she had left their child home alone so that she could be free to have fun and shun her responsibilities._

_"Well, she probably just uh, lost track of time." Rumpelstiltskin said to his daughter, keeping his voice full of hope not for his behalf, but for Bae's. "Grab your cloak."_

_The small child got up from the wooden chair and did as she was instructed, walking over to her papa so that he could help put the cloak on her while they walked out of the cottage together._

_"We'll find her." Rumpelstiltskin promised._

_Upon reaching a bar, Rumpelstiltskin instructed Baelfire to wait outside while he checked for her mother. The moment he walked in, his ears were greeted harshly by the sound of laughing men and tankards being slammed down on the wooden tables. Rumpelstiltskin made his way through the thrall of people, pushing past until he spotted a table in the far corner that was surrounded by pirates, and among them, rolling dice and taking shots was his wife, Milah._

_"Milah!" Rumpelstiltskin called out to her, drawing the attention of the pirates surrounding the table as well as his wife's. "Milah...it's time to go."_

_"Good." Milah said picking up a pitcher of ale and poured herself another drink. "So go."_

_"Who's this?" One of the pirates asked, causing Rumpelstiltskin to divert his attention to him. He was a young pirate, no older than he or Milah with a thick head of black hair and matching black eyeliner that really brought out the intensity of his eyes._

_"Ah it's no one." Milah responded to the pirate. "It's just my husband."_

_"Oh!" The pirate said thoughtfully. "Well he's a tad taller than you described." The surrounding pirates roared in laughter, all taking a second look at Rumpelstiltskin._

_"Please..." Rumpelstiltskin said doing his best to keep his skin tough, not wanting these men to get to him and addressed his wife once more. "...you have responsibilities..."_

_"You mean like being a man?" Milah challenged. "Fighting in the Ogre wars? Other wives became honored widows while I became lashed to the village coward. I need a break. Run home Rumpel! It's what you're good at."_

_Rumpelstiltskin gripped his walking stick tightly, doing his best to keep a straight face as he became utterly humiliated in front of these men, but it wasn't he who spoke next._

_"Mamma?" Baelfire poked her head from behind Rumpelstiltskin, causing Rumpelstiltskin to turn to face his daughter in surprise._

_"Bae! You're supposed to be outside child..." Rumpelstiltskin said softly. Milah sighed heavily and got up from the bench, setting her drink down and approached her husband and child. She took hold of Bae and walked her out of the pub, not even bothering to see if Rumpelstiltskin followed them out or not._

_XXX_

_"You don't..._

_**really** wish I'd died...during the Ogre Wars...do you?" Rumpelstiltskin found himself asking. They three had made it home from the pub, and Milah rested herself in their bed while Rumpelstiltskin boiled up some tea to help with her growing headache. Milah remained silent for a while, keeping her gaze off of her husband while she thought over her words._

_"I wish you would have fought." She admitted. "Don't you?"_

_"I-w-well I'm-I'm alive..." Rumpelstiltskin stammered. Using his walking stick, he pushed himself up from the wooden stool and carried over the small cup of tea to his wife. "And I'm here with you...with Bae..." Upon reaching the bedside, he sat down by Milah's feet and offered her the cup. Milah just shook her head._

_"This isn't a life." She said quietly. "Not for me. Why can't we just leave?"_

_"We talked about that-"_

_"You don't have to be the village coward! We can start again!" Milah pleaded. "Go somewhere no one knows us; see the whole world beyond this village!"_

_Rumpelstiltskin stood up from the bed and walked away from Milah a few feet, placing the rejected cup of tea on the wooden table in the center of the room._

_"I know this isn't the life you wanted." He said shaking his head lightly. "But we can be happy...here..." He took a seat in the wooden chair once more between the table and the fire place. "At least try...if not for me...then for Bae..."_

_Milah sighed irritably and held her head._

_"Okay..." She gave in. "I'll try..."_

_"Papa?"_

_Rumpelstiltskin turned to see Baelfire whom had crept out of bed and holding fast to a tattered stuffed bear. Rumpelstiltskin turned his head to the side, giving his daughter a very soft, yet scolding look._

_"I couldn't sleep...will you sing to me?" Baelfire asked. The once firm look on Rumpelstiltskin's face immediately melted as he pushed himself up and led Baelfire back to her bed. He tucked her in gently, making sure that she would be warm throughout the night with what poor blankets they had and bent over to kiss her softly on the forehead._

_"Please papa, I want you to sing, the song you made for me when I was a baby..."_

_Rumpelstiltskin smiled softly and put his hand over his daughter's forehead, using it to sweep away her beautiful long, brown locks of hair._

_Sleep my Baby,_  
><em>Rest my loved one<em>  
><em>Softly slumber<em>  
><em>Now with me<em>

_Clasped in Papa's_  
><em>Arms so tender<em>  
><em>Warm in Papa's<em>  
><em>Love for thee<em>

_Naught shall ever_  
><em>Come to harm thee<em>  
><em>While my loving<em>  
><em>Watch I'll keep,<em>

_Thou my pretty_  
><em>One shall slumber<em>  
><em>While I sing thy<em>  
><em>Lullaby<em>

_Sleep my baby_  
><em>Rest my loved one<em>  
><em>While the evening<em>  
><em>Shadows creep<em>

_Why, my Baelfire_  
><em>Art thou smiling,<em>  
><em>Smiling sweetly<em>  
><em>In thy sleep?<em>

_Can it be_  
><em>That baby angels<em>  
><em>In God's Heaven<em>  
><em>Smile on thee?<em>

_Rest my darling_  
><em>Smile and slumber<em>  
><em>While I sing thy<em>  
><em>Lullaby<em>

XXX

**Presently...**

Mr. Gold spent the next hour or so walking a carefully mapped out route that kept him in alleys and dark places through the small city; a course he had created long ago to keep himself away from the citizens of Storybrooke so that he might enjoy his walks in peace.

His cigarette had burned out long ago, and on more than one occasion he nearly stopped his walk to return directly home to grab another one. Each time, however, he pressed on and was nearing the end of his walk when suddenly, another wave of pain overtook him, losing all control over his right arm causing his cane to drop with an echoing 'clink' on the black pavement below him.

Mr. Gold was soon to follow; with the pain came the shortness of breath and the tight knots forming in his chest. There was an irritating ringing in his ears followed immediately by his vision beginning to blacken whereas the small window of his surroundings that he was still able to see had his head spinning in circles.

XXX

_There was an urgent knock on Rumpelstiltskin's cottage door, and he soon answered it to find a village woman with a rather distressed look on her face._

_"Rumpelstiltskin, you need to get to the docks now!" She informed him hastily._

_"The docks? Why-"_

_"The men who came into port last week...they've taken Milah! They're setting sail, you must hurry!"_

_It took a great amount of effort on Rumpelstiltskin's part to reach the docks; it was a fair distance away and the hindrance of his right leg slowed him down greatly but he finally found the ship belonging to the pirates he had met in the pub a week ago and stepped aboard. Upon stepping on the deck itself, Rumpelstiltskin's right leg gave out completely, causing him to tumble over and to fall onto his chest. He picked himself up quickly though, reaching the point of being on his knees when he saw a pair of boots level with his eyesight, the man of which the boots belonged to standing on top of the ledge just above where he was._

_"On your feet for the Captain!" A sailor shouted out to Rumpelstiltskin, and suddenly he found himself being hoisted hastily to his feet by two other sailors, one of them harshly shoving his walking stick into his chest to ensure he stayed on his feet. The man to which the sailor was referring to as the Captain was the very same man that had been talking with Milah in the bar, the man with the black hair and matching eyeliner._

_"I-I-I remember you..." Rumpelstiltskin observed, pointing at him. "F-from the bar..."_

_"It's always nice to make an impression." The Captain said with a smirk, causing the nearby pirates to laugh out loud. "Where are my manners? We haven't been formally introduced..." The Captain uncrossed his arms from his chest and walked closer to Rumpelstiltskin. "Killian Jones. Now...what are you doing aboard my ship?"_

_Rumpelstiltskin looked around, seeing the multitude of eyes preying upon him like a flock of buzzards waiting for an injured animal to die, but no sign of his wife or child. He was certainly out of his element here; and he was more than eager to just get this over and done with and return to the safety of his home._

_"Oh, well, uh, I, uh...y-you have my wife..." He stammered._

_"I've had many a man's wife." Killian replied, again getting a good laugh out of his comrades._

_"D-do-uh, you see...we have a daughter..." Rumpelstiltskin tried explaining, hoping that this pirate had a shred of morality in him...somewhere..."...and she needs her mother..."_

_"You see, I have a ship full of men who need...companionship..." Was Killian's reply, earning hoots and hollers from the other pirates._

_"I-I'm begging you...**please** let her go..."_

_"I'm not much for bargaining. That said...I do consider myself an honorable man; a man with a code...so if you truly want your wife back-" Killian took the sword of on one of the nearby pirates and dropped it in front of Rumpelstiltskin at his feet and then withdrew his own sword. "-all you have to do is take her."_

_Killian pointed the end of his sword towards Rumpelstiltskin's chest, causing his breathing to increase rapidly and his body to shake._

_"Never been in a duel before I take it?" Killian observed, pressing the tip of the sword into Rumpelstiltskin's chest; not hard enough to impale...not just yet. "Well it's quite simple really, the pointy end goes in the other guy."_

_Rumpelstiltskin looked down at the sword by his feet, his body trembling so bad that it was difficult to even keep hold of his walking stick._

_"Go on, pick it up." Killian goaded him, but Rumpelstiltskin couldn't budge; frozen with fear. Humiliation came over him quickly and he could feel hot tears beginning to well up in his eyes as he quickly began to realize that there was no fight to be won here, and that he would be lucky to escape with his own life. "A man unwilling to fight for what he wants...deserves what he gets..." Killian said simply and withdrew his sword, sheathing it and turning his back to Rumpelstiltskin, harshly indicating that he wasn't worth his time._

_"Please sir..." Rumpelstiltskin dared to try once more. "At least let me speak with my girl, she was with Milah this morning...I have to see her..."_

_"And why would she want to see you?" Killian asked, turning only just slightly to face Rumpelstiltskin. "Her father's a coward."_

XXX

Mr. Gold stumbled forward, refusing to go down altogether and finding a brick wall to brace his hands against to keep from succumbing to his blackouts. Sweat practically rolled off his forehead and down his neck, his teeth grinding and gnashing together in his best attempt to push his will forward and fight back. It was a battle he was quickly losing as his legs outright gave up on him, forcing him down onto his knees and still clutching desperately at the brick wall for some sort of anchor.

Unable to control his tolerance for pain any longer, a quiet cry came from his throat, echoing into the still night, seeming to mock him; screaming his weaknesses back at him in a cruel taunt that caused him to cry out once more in anger rather than pain before finally giving in and resting his sweat-soaked forehead against the cool brick wall and sobbed silently to himself, whimpering repeatedly and in between strenuous coughing fits,

"I'm sorry Bae! I'm so sorry!"

XXX

Ruby and Knox had practically made it to Granny's Diner when Ruby stopped suddenly in her tracks. She had been so immersed in the thought of sharing a bed of cheese fries and a coke that she almost didn't hear it; but with those notions allowed to leave her mind due to the distraction, it couldn't have been clearer.

"Wait..." Ruby said softly to Knox and turned around in a small semi-circle, her eyes wide and bright in an effort to try and see through the darkness, hoping that they would take her to the source of the noise. "Do you hear that?"

Knox turned to look back over his shoulder at Ruby, an eyebrow rising ever so slightly, but his mouth drawn into a firm line. Seemed like nothing this night was going to plan…first his damned security footage and sign-in logs, then his drinks, now his cheesy fries. The side of his mouth twitched irritably in the darkness, and the man didn't bother to try and figure out Ruby.

"We've had problems with raccoons in the past, don't concern yourself with them."

"No..." Ruby let the word trail off as she continued to look around her black surroundings, seeming to be lost in thought before suddenly saying, "Its Mr. Gold...something's wrong." She turned quickly to face Knox with a worried look on her face that gradually turned into confusion, realizing that Knox wasn't hearing what she was. "You can't hear him?" She didn't give time for Knox to answer though as her feet began to carry her away from Granny's Diner and instead began down a smaller set of streets that eventually connected into an alleyway.

Knox rolled his eyes, though this action was largely unseen in the darkness, especially since Ruby was now actively searching for this phantom sound of hers. Letting out a small but unmistakably annoyed sigh, he followed her down this way and that easily, sure this was either some sort of game to her or…maybe she had her drinks already, and was currently inebriated? At some point, he was just going to have to just give up and just leave, like he had intended a little while ago…when he glanced over and actually noticed where Mr. Gold was leaning in the darkness, moments before Ruby herself did. Only momentarily caught off guard by this, he hurried on over.

The area was pitch black, not even a street lamp lit her way but Ruby could see Mr. Gold's dark silhouette hunkered down near the ground with his arm keeping himself braced against the wall. Her nose immediately picked up on the strong odor of sweat, smoke and alcohol coming from him, and he seemed to be mumbling incoherently to himself before being launched into a coughing fit coming from deep within his chest. He was too busy trying to keep from falling over and maintain some sort of breathing (though incredible staggered) to even notice Ruby there.

"Knox! Over here I found him!"

Without a moment of hesitation, Knox hefted Mr. Gold up onto his feet. He was curious as to what exactly happened before they had come to the scene...but he did turn to give Ruby a rather…pleased look?

"What a sharp sense of hearing you have…" Pausing for a moment, thinking about where they were exactly, and who exactly he was helping keep on his feet. Ruby stooped down and picked up Mr. Gold's cane that had been lying on the ground where, holding it with the uttermost caution, not wanting Mr. Gold to have any reason to want to 'get her back' if something had happened to it. The older gentleman was shaking somewhat violently, causing Ruby to furrow her eyebrows and tilt her head to the side but the dazed look he once held in his eyes seemed to slowly recede, bringing back his mind from wherever it had been.

"Wh-wha-" He tried to speak but was forced into another coughing fit, making Ruby shake her head, feeling her heart-rate quicken to the intensity of the situation. As much as she loathed Mr. Gold for everything he had done to the people of Storybrooke; to Granny, he was still a man...and he needed their help.

"I'll call Robert." She offered, fishing her fingers into her extremely tight shorts pockets to pull out her phone, beginning to dial the number for Storybrooke's Sheriff Department.

"Give...me...*cough*...that!" Mr. Gold outstretched his free arm, snatching his cane back from Ruby, initially startling her and making her jump causing the phone to fall from her hands and crash down onto the asphalt beneath them. Mr. Gold, coming out of his coughing fit attempted to stand tall once more and used his cane to hold himself up, trying to push Knox away. "I don't need your help."

Ignoring the actions and weak resistance of the older man, Knox turned to Ruby and gestured for her to collect her phone.

"A panic attack is a strong possibility. The hospital shouldn't be too far off…we should bring him over as soon as possible."

"Yes-" Ruby shook her head again as she bent over to collect her phone, ignoring Mr. Gold rolling his eyes and turning his face away from them, though was forced to bring his fist to his mouth to cover a few more, less strenuous coughs. Ruby bent down to pick up her phone and wiped it off, frowning at the hairline crack across the screen but now wasn't exactly the time to bitch about it. She got back up and stuffed the phone into the extremely small pocket in her red shorts and got onto Mr. Gold's right side. Sure he had the cane to help him there, but she was more of an 'emergency backup' if for some reason both Knox and the cane failed to aid him.

"Panic attack...that would be equally likely as your friend here keeping her legs closed." Mr. Gold scoffed under his breath, of course referring to Ruby, and again tried to jerk his shoulder away from Knox before speaking with his normal voice to Ruby, "It was more than likely that over-priced lasagna your Granny makes; come back to kill me off..."

"...a panic attack is nothing to be ashamed of, Mr Gold...sir. At your age, a heart attack would be equally likely, bad diet or no." Knox's expression didn't change, after all...this man was having some sort of attack only moments ago, "Just stay calm, the hospital is only 'hop and a skip' away..." The man, holding up this older man, actually cringed at that saying. His father said that a lot, in relation to short walks to here or there, but it just seemed so awkward and misplaced coming from Knox's own lips.

Mr. Gold, again rolled his eyes and used his tongue to wet his dry lips before letting out an agitated sigh, taking the phrase 'hop and skip' to heart just a bit more than he should have given the condition of his leg.

"You hop...I'll watch." He replied bitterly but agreed without even saying anything about it to go to the hospital with them.

XXX

The very moment Ruby, Knox and Mr. Gold stepped into the hospital entrance; it seemed as if time had just...stopped. All the nurses moving back and forth between rooms, all the visitors waiting to be helped...hell even the newborn baby being held tightly in her mother's arms as they were heading outside...they all stopped, and stared. Ruby didn't take it personally, she knew it had nothing to do with her and Knox; knowing it had to be quite the sight that Mr. Gold...the most powerful man in Storybrooke...was there on an occasion that didn't involve collecting rent.

Long before the three's arrival, Dr. Whale had called Dr. Stevenson back for an emergency in regards to a different patient. Dr. Stevenson was about to head home from the hospital, but stopped when Mr. Gold entered with Knox and Ruby acting as support. She blinked in surprise, and she asked Ruby and Knox, knowing full well there's no way Gold would come here unless it was an emergency,

"Ruby, Mr. Kowalski, what happened?"

Again, Mr. Gold shrugged himself from Knox, this time managing to get free from his supportive hold. He rolled his shoulders, placing both hands on the top of his cane and kept his back to both Knox and Ruby, doing what he could to keep his pride, power and position.

"There, I'm here, and now you can go." He said coldly to Ruby and Knox, still keeping his back to them. "Any questions Dr. Stevenson might have, I am perfectly capable of answering myself."

Knox gave Dr. Stevenson a respective nod, ignoring the pawnbroker's dismissal,

"Mr Gold was having a small panic attack. While he seemed fine for the trip on his own, Ruby and I were insistent on escorting him here to the hospital..." With this, he gave the older man a sort of pointed look, before finally turning to Ruby, "You should head home now, your assistance is no longer necessary."

"It wasn't a panic attack!" Mr. Gold hissed through his tightly clenched teeth, his grip only getting tighter on the top of his cane. Ruby made a point to ignore him.

"Raincheck then." Ruby said to Knox with an understanding look, speaking of course of grabbing a drink with him later. It would be better...later...tonight seemed to just be spiraling more and more out of control.

Dr. Stevenson listened to the quick banter between the three, finally finding a place to cut in.

"A panic attack?" From what she could tell, Mr. Gold was definitely not the type to go through a panic attack, he was too collected and never anxious from her own observations. She nodded as she gained an idea as to what may have actually happened. "Thank you, Mr. Kowalski, Ruby. Mr. Gold, if you would please, come with me. I would like to have Dr. Whale administer some diagnostic tests."

"I'm sure you would." Mr. Gold grumbled under his breath.

With yet another respective nod, Knox went into professional mode, answering Ruby.

"Let me escort you back to the lobby." Firmly taking Ruby's shoulder, he led her on out of there without another word.

Mr. Gold remained unmoved until Ruby and Knox had completely left before putting his brown eyes on Dr. Stevenson with such a look of intensity, it could very well make a small child burst into tears.

"This is all quite unnecessary." Mr. Gold began, subconsciously twisting his cane around. "I know what happened, and it has passed. I'm fine."

Dr. Stevenson narrowed her blue eyed gaze in an icy way, matching his look of intensity. After he spoke, she answered calmly, but firmly and with authority as the Head Doctor,

"With all due respect, Mr. Gold, you just stated earlier, and I quote, 'It wasn't a panic attack,'. If what you just experienced wasn't a panic attack, then it could be something much more serious. It would be beneficial to you, if we did the diagnostics and figured out what is wrong,"

Mr. Gold's eyes began to ache from having to roll them in his annoyance so much.

"And if I...went along with this then...would that buy your silence?" He questioned. Of course everything had to come at a price with him, and this was no different.

"Yes. But I still have to inform you of the results afterwards." After she stated that, she moved her hand as if she zipped her mouth shut and tossed away the zipper tag.

Mr. Gold was not at all amused by her gesture, but he did remove one hand from the top of his cane and walked with her to a carefully assigned hospital room where the tests could be conducted in private. After Dr. Stevenson led him to the room, she walked out and sent in Dr. Whale to perform the tests.

An hour later, Dr. Whale brought Dr. Stevenson the test results and X-rays, and after double checking to make sure they were accurate, she sighed and headed for the room that Mr. Gold was in. She opened the door and walked inside, sighing through her nose as she looked at Mr. Gold gravely and with a bit of pity.

Mr. Gold looked up from his position of sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, spinning his cane around vertically, keeping his palm resting heavily on it to keep the bottom of the cane firmly on the floor, almost like a child that had grown bored of waiting and created a simple game to keep entertained.

Faye closed the door behind her and she said to Mr. Gold, and knowing the kind of person he is, she wasted no time and got straight to the point in a grave tone,

"You have lung cancer, Mr. Gold."

His brown eyes tore into Dr. Stevenson, his salt-and-peppered hair covering half of his face as he looked up at her and remained silent for a good while before simply stating in a quiet voice,

"I know."

Dr. Stevenson did a double take after she heard his comment.

"You knew...? You. Knew? And you didn't say or do anything?" It baffled Dr. Stevenson that he knew earlier than she did, and yet didn't do anything to help himself! He could've left Storybrooke and got himself Chemotherapy, or could've asked the doctors here in Storybrooke Hospital for help.

He waited a moment before answering, licking his lips in a physical notion that he was thinking his words over carefully.

"When you have as much life experience as I do, Doctor, you just know things."

Dr. Stevenson gave him a skeptical look.

"So you think that not saying anything about this, to anyone, is the wise way to go?"

"Ya." Mr. Gold said simply, as if it were obvious. The old Nokia flip-phone in his pocket buzzed once, and Mr. Gold fished it out from his dress pants and flipped it open, seeming to now be tuning out whatever Dr. Stevenson had left to say.

She shook her head to show her disagreement, and to keep herself calm.

"Mr. Gold. I highly recommend that you stay in the hospital and get treatment."

"Oh no, that won't be possible." Mr. Gold laughed. He closed his phone back up and used his cane to help him back up to his feet, then putting his phone back into his pocket. "As it turns out, I have more pressing matters to attend to, so if you'll excuse me..." Taking a good hold on his cane, Mr. Gold began to head towards the door.

Dr. Stevenson followed and she asked as she followed,

"What about your family and friends? Aren't you at least going to get help for them? For their sake?"

At the drop of a pin, Mr. Gold turned to face Faye immediately, his grip tightening on his cane until his knuckles turned white.

"As I said...I have more pressing matters to attend to." He repeated, though this time through his clenched teeth. "You would be a smart woman to stay out of this Dr. Stevenson, and stop asking questions...a _very_ smart woman." He softly threatened.

Dr. Stevenson stopped and clenched her fists tighter when he threatened her. Of course she felt fear from Mr. Gold's threat, but she ignored it and continued her own teeth clenched,

"Oh, I'm not questioning your affairs. I'm asking you to help yourself for your sake. I'm asking you to not be a coward!"

Mr. Gold let out a mixture between a laugh and an outward gasp, making an 'O' shape with his mouth at the mention of his cowardice.

"Really dearie?"

He was done. Done talking to her, and done wasting time with something that, under his own understanding, he could manage on his own. He tossed his cane up, grabbing it by the lower base and pulled his arm back only to strike the golden handle of the cane across Faye's head without a single regard for what he had just done.

Faye fell to the ground immediately. Mr. Gold was apparently stronger than he appeared. Her head throbbed in pain from where she was hit, and she looked at Mr. Gold, with a seething glare, ignoring the feeling of blood dripping down from the fresh wound.

Mr. Gold stood above her, returning his cane to the floor and placing both hands upon the bloodied handle with what almost looked like a pleased smirk crossing his lips.

"Don't fret about the bill, doctor, it would be in your best interest to just burn it." He advised

As Faye wiped off the blood from the side of her head, she told him with a bitter tone,

"You're making a mistake. But fine. I won't stop you. Go!"

"With pleasure." Mr. Gold nodded twice, flashed Faye a golden smile and limped heavily out of the hospital room. He had an appointment with a very agitated Mayor Mills.

After Mr. Gold was gone, Faye stared at the floor. She didn't know why, but she felt so angry. She just wanted to throw something or hit something. She shook her head and told herself that violence wasn't the answer, and yet, it felt as though trying to bottle that anger up was empowering her other persona.

"God! I need a drink!"

Now she knew for sure that she was mentally breaking. She normally abstained from drinking alcohol, but now...now she felt like she needed it. It was miserable. Since there were no other emergencies to be taken care of, she headed to her home, where she had her own stash of alcohol waiting, courtesy of her other persona.

Perhaps this would be something she would bring up in her session with Dr. Hopper tomorrow.

XXX

A few more patrons walked through the door of the bar and shouted across the room,

"Ay Jake, how you doing tonight?"

"Doing great Rocky, you havin' the usual tonight?" Jake Frostburn replied while throwing a damp towel over his shoulder.

"You know it, my man. Gotta few friends with me too, they'll have the same."

"Comin' right up." Jake then grabbed a few glasses, put them on the bar top and grabbed a mix of bottles. He began mixing the drinks and creating one of his own unique drinks. Bottles were flipped and thrown all around, giving everyone a good show. After a few more seconds of bottle-twirling, Jake was finished. He slid the drinks down to the end of the bar where Rocky and his friends had taken their seats. "There you go, friend. Enjoy." Jake grabbed the towel from his shoulder and started cleaning the bar top off.

"You put that away a bit prematurely." Ruby said sliding into one of the bar stools in front of Jake and gave him a half-hearted smile. After she had parted ways with Knox at the hospital, it was hard to just...forget about him. She could have gone back home and got in an early night...but who was she kidding? There was still plenty of night-life left in Storybrooke, and she was determined to go out with a bang, even if she had to fake being happy at first.

Ruby tilted her head to the side slightly, causing her long, red and brown pigtails to swing to the same side.

"Can I get a green apple tini?"

"Of course, but just to let you know, my specialties are unique drinks. I can make anything. Hell, I'll even surprise you." He said returning a genuine smile. He pulled out a glass and started pouring up the ordered drink.

"God knows I could use a surprise right about now." Ruby mumbled to herself, letting her head rest in her hand with her elbow keeping it propped up on the table.

It only took a few seconds before he was finished. "And there we go, one green apple tini. Hope you like." Jake took a second to look at the woman in front of him. He knew who she was, and probably vice versa, but he can't remember the last time they actually met. Guess now was as good a time as any. "Everything going alright? Besides alcohol, I can't really help you out with surprises. Don't know when your birthday is, so we can't do that."

Ruby chuckled, but only slightly and grabbed the martini from him and took a small sip, and nodded in approval almost immediately. Setting the martini glass down on the bar, she reached into her open shirt and then her bra and pulled out the five, one-dollar bills that she had stored away, part of her winnings she had swindled from the guys earlier and handed it over to him.

"Oh yeah - everything's...great..!" She answered smartly with a harsh edge of sarcasm and took up the martini once more to give her something to do and took another drink. "You ever have one of those days where everything seems like it's working out great, and then it all just collapses in on itself before you even have time to blink?" She asked him curiously.

Jake let out a slight chuckle, "You've never been a bartender. Ya, I've had my fair share of days like that. I'd feel shitty all day, but the next day, I'm back to feeling fine. Just gotta push through 'em. They suck ass, but hey, what can you do?"

"I work at Granny's." Ruby reminded him. "I've done my fair share of being a bartender."

"You know what, keep your money. That drink's on the house. You seem like you needed it."

Ruby's red lips turned up into a soft smile, seeming to lighten up her entire complexion.

"Hey, you should be my bartender more often. Jake...isn't it?" She asked. She could have just looked at the name-tag, but where was the fun with that? She had seen him enough around town to have learned his name beforehand and therefore didn't really need to second-guess herself.

"Always willing to help out a troubled soul…Ruby right?" He said shooting a tease. "Besides we get plenty of business around here. They won't notice it. All I ask is that you feel better with that drink, and that'll be payment enough, deal?" He began placing the bottles back to their original positions, still having his attention focused on Ruby.

Ruby tilted her head once more, looking upon Jake thoughtfully.

"When's your next break?" She asked almost out of the blue.

Jake looked at his watch, "In about five minutes. May I ask why you ask?"

Ruby's smile returned to her lips.

"I'm going to tell you something." She began and then pointed to her left where the pool tables were. "I'm going to be over there, waiting for your break. And when you come over to me, you're going to give me a tour of the bar that will ultimately end in the supply closet, and then you can see just how much better you can make me feel."

Ruby picked up what was left of her martini and drank the rest of the contents with a single gulp before returning the empty martini glass to the bar table and without another word, she hopped off of the stool and did exactly what she said she was going to do and went over to the pool tables.

Jake kept his composure the whole time, but his mind was obviously racing. The next five minutes flew by fast, and he quickly clocked out. He calmly made his way to where she was waiting,

"Now I can give you the full tour." He grabbed her hand and guided her through the back of the building and into the supply closet, careful to keep anyway from seeing them. He shut the door behind them, and pulled her close. "So, how do you like the supply closet. Nice and roomie?"

Ruby just raised an eyebrow, resting her hands on his chest as he pulled her close, the look of a hungry predator gleaming in her eye.

"Just shut up and kiss me." She replied with a smirk, and too impatient to even wait for that, crashed her lips against his.

**Author's Note:**

**Could we really expect anything less from Ruby? lol. And sorry again about the copy from the show in the flashback, there shouldn't be too many more of these but if you read carefully I changed a few things around to better fit THIS story, so hopefully you were paying attention.  
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**ALSO! I'm REALLY curious to know what you guys think about me turning Mr. Gold into an alcoholic/smoker. It's been an idea I've been toying with in my head ever since season 1 when watching the show, I kept turning to my husband and going "there's no way he's not an alcoholic!" So...yeah, let me know what you think haha I can get in deeper into this (I always have a plan) or I can ease up a bit, whatever you guys want just let me know.**


	5. Chapter 5: Framed

**Author's Note:**

**Finally got a resounding close to Henry's first day in Storybrooke. So much going on! So many questions! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it up. Happy reading my fellow Oncers!**

Robert Leland had spent most of his day diligently patrolling the towns few streets, doing what he could to make sure the laws were followed. For now, he sat in his patrol car, finishing his notes for the day. He typed into a laptop that he in his car for record keeping.

_"Crimes witnessed: no incidents. Reports of crime: Old lady complained of trash being rifled through last night, evidence points to raccoons or Pongo, Archibald Hopper's dog. See attached for further details. Other: Littering is down, no incidents. Hospital reports all normal, usual guard took day off. New person in town, name is Henry, car was seen parked outside of Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop and Granny's at different times today. Will inquire further, can tail if you want." _

After adding a few more details, he emailed a copy to Regina, he knew that she always liked to know what was going on around town.

Before heading home, Robert wanted to get a drink or two, not enough to seriously impede his driving abilities. He drove towards Granny's, since it was on the way to his house. He didn't care much about the atmosphere or have any particularly strong bonds with the regular patrons, but it was a cheap place to grab snack and a beer. After a short drive, he parked his car outside, noticing that the place was busier than one would expect for this time of night. He also noticed the visitor's car was parked here, confirming that he was staying at Granny's.

After getting out of his car, Robert looked for a seat at the bar, and order a pint of a French beer that he liked, along with a plate of fries. While he waited for his food and sipped his beer, he looked around the room, seeing a few familiar faces. He wasn't friendly with these people or anyone in town regularly, but he didn't harbor any special dislike for them.

XXX

"Robert, I got your message. I need you at my office ten minutes ago."

Regina hung up her phone and climbed into her Mercedes and gunned the car to life, driving hastily to her office at City Hall. Aside from her own home, it was the only place in Storybrooke where she knew they could speak privately.

Robert had just finished paying his bill when his cellphone rang, still set on a generic bell sound. He picked up immediately, and heard what Regina said. Her voice was extremely serious and she left no time for him to answer, which told him that it was very important. Perhaps tonight wasn't the best night to go out for a drink, but he hadn't had enough to seriously impair his driving. He hurried to his patrol car and started it up. Though he was tempted to, Robert did not use the siren because it was not technically an emergency.

He'd made good time, the roads weren't crowded and he even exceeded the speed limit a little bit. As he walked into the building he took a moment to comb his hair and to straighten his collar, it was important to keep a professional appearance even for business after hours. He spotted Regina's car outside, so he knew that she was waiting for him. Robert opened the door to the lobby and walked up to Regina's office, knocking sharply on it twice.

Regina was already in her office by the time that Robert showed up. She was sitting in the large roller office chair in front of her desk which upon first looks, looked like an absolute mess; short of a tornado rolling through her office. This was unusual, as Regina always kept her office nice and neat. Her head snapped up from writing down a quick statement. Her eyes were dark and glaring, not at him though as he was close enough to Regina to know when he was mad at him or mad at something else entirely.

"Our visitor...I need you to check him out." Regina demanded.

"His name is Henry, right? Don't know that much about him, saw him around town, and he's staying at-"

"ROBERT!" Regina interrupted him hotly, clearly on her last fuse. "I. Don't. Care...about all of that." She added on, making a slight attempt to control her temper. She then opened her arms wide, gesturing to the condition her office was in. "Clearly...I've been robbed." She stated and then pushed herself up from her chair, walking over to Robert.

"There was an envelope on my desk containing ten-thousand dollars of Storybrooke's tax money...and it's gone. Look into Henry, follow him, learn everything you can about him and search his car. I'm confident you will find what you are looking for." Her rage-induced tone gradually eased into something more...pleasant, and by the time she had suggested that Robert check Henry's car, she was even smiling...clearly knowing something that no one else did.

Robert kept calm, though it was unusual to see Regina with demeanor that was anything less than saccharine.

"Should I tail him a bit first, maybe even arrest him? We can hold him for 72 hours before charging him, that'd buy us some time. I saw his car parked at Granny's last, if I see something suspicious I could open it without a warrant. What was the envelope labeled? If I don't find it, I could always search it on a traffic stop." Robert always made sure to stick to the book, even if his police work was guided by local politics as much as pursuit of the truth.

Regina just stared at Robert blankly, however it could have easily been translated into a look of over-the-top annoyance.

"Robert..." She said again, eerily calmly this time. "All I need you to do is check his car. Back seat, right side. I want his ass in jail tonight!"

"Understood, I will be on my way immediately."

"Good." Regina approved and watched him turn to leave. "Oh and Robert..." She called. "Feel free to stop by my place once you've done your job. I just bought a bottle of wine I'm dying to try out." Robert smiled, and left without another word. He drove back to Granny's where he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Henry's car would be parked there.

Robert breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the visitor's car was still in parked outside of Granny's. To stop the man from getting away, Robert double parked behind Henry's car, even though there was plenty of open spaces. It was technically illegal, but Robert had left all of the wheel clamps at the station for the night, and he couldn't let this opportunity slip away. It's not like anyone would give him parking ticket, and with luck he wouldn't even have to be there long.

He found a thick envelope sitting on the right side of the back seat, just like Regina had said. It was thick but otherwise nondescript, there was nothing to mark it as tax money. He didn't bother to photograph it, because figured there would be plenty of time for that after he'd arrested Henry. Not wanting to waste time, he went to interrogate either Granny or Ruby and request a key to Henry's room. On his way in, he saw a female figure arrive in the parking lot, but he could not identify her in the darkness at this distance.

XXX

Meanwhile, when Dr. Stevenson made it back to her home after her extra hours put into the hospital, her other persona had taken over after just a few drinks for the second time that night. After a quick wardrobe change, the mysterious woman headed over to Granny's, that was where Henry was staying after all. She smirked to herself when she saw the building and she was about to walk in when she spotted something curious in a nearby car.

There was an envelope just lying in the car. She tilted her head in curiosity as she stared at the envelope as though she'll be able to see through the envelope and see what was in it.

Henry continued walking, his legs like heavy weights that he dragged along - but he did it without complaint or sign of pain. As Granny's came closer and closer into view, he noticed something strange - someone...staring at his car? He narrowed his eyes and quickened his pace just enough not to alert anyone.

As he got closer he recognized the observer, the same mysterious woman from the bar earlier that night...still just as enticingly attractive as before. Henry found himself shaking his head to clear away muddled thoughts before approaching at a more casual pace, the bitter wind seeming to bite at him.

"Well, back so soon, are we? I knew you couldn't resist me for long." He said cheekily, masking the emotional pain he had suffered just minutes before.

The mysterious woman snapped her head towards him when he spoke, and she gave him a smile as she cleverly retorted while leaning away from the car window,

"I just have nothing better to do. You are a little foxy, I'll give you that."

Henry couldn't help but grin at her 'foxy' comment, seeing it fit to run a hand through his hair whilst making the action look natural and obscure.

"You said you loved to read, yes? Tell me, do you write as well?" The woman continued on after looking towards the car window once again,

"Well...I've done a little writing, nothing substantial. I prefer the already-written word more often than not." He answered with a small shrug of his shoulders.

The mysterious woman shrugged at his comment, and she commented,

"I don't really get out much."

"You never told me what you liked to do, Ms..." At that moment, Henry realized he didn't even know this woman's name, anything about her - time to rectify that.

"There's something that strikes me as odd. You don't write very much...and yet," She looked into the car again and she stated, "It appears as though you have a rough draft for an encyclopedia sized book in an envelope in your car. Strange…is it your own version of Fifty Shades of Gray? You can tell me."

Henry's expression turned perplexed as he looked into his car, noting an admittedly large envelope inside.

"No...this isn't mine - and for your information, were I even_ considering_ a rewrite of Fifty Shades of Grey, you'd be the first to know about it!" He added in a sultry manner, masking it with a shade of amusement as he opened the car door, procuring the envelope from its place on the seat.

The woman chuckled at his retort to her joke, as she waggled her eyebrows jokingly.

"Best look inside, shouldn't we?" He asked rhetorically.

"Of course. Let's open 'er up," She did the honors and she moved her head to peek into the envelope. After she got a good look, she looked at Henry in a slight gape, and she said to him, "Either that's yours, someone was very generous to you, or someone wants to get you in legal trouble."

"What?" Henry simply exclaimed as the woman turned to him. He took a moment to glance into the envelope himself, his face turning to one of complete disbelief. "What?" He repeated, planting both hands on either side of his head as he paced about. "What?!" He repeated a third time, completely lost for words. "Wha-who-...What?" He said, taking a second look into the envelope for confirmation. "Oh, what in the bloody hell!?" He exclaimed, finally finding a word other than 'what'.

"Yeeeaaahhh...we can eliminate the first possibility. I highly doubt people would be this generous, so...in conclusion, someone's trying to frame you, and wants it pretty badly to be willing to toss in this much cash…who got close to your car, that you know of?" The woman replied with a hint of amusement playing at her lips at his expense.

Henry continued to pace about, thinking hard as to whoever got close to his car that he knew of. There were a few minutes of his senseless mumbling before finally landing on someone.

"Regina." He said coolly, a polar opposite from his cheeky, seductive tone he adopted earlier. "She spoke to me just earlier, leaned against the door before she'd shake my hand!" He proclaimed, though not too loudly.

The mysterious woman let out an "Ah" in understanding and said,

"Of course, the Queen of all Bitches herself. Your presence here must've ticked her off." Her grin grew wider as she finished, "_And I LIKE it!_" It was clear that the woman didn't seem to care for the mayor at all. "Having said that, I have a proposal for you."

"A proposal, eh? Let's hear it." He responded in a sweetly devilish tone, noticing how her wild grin seemed so similar to his when he was a four-legged creature.

The woman continued, her own voice becoming devilish.

"It's quite simple really. I take the fall for you for having this money. There'll be no doubt that she'll send her lap dog Leland after you. But in return, you bail me out before Four o clock in the afternoon. And, make sure that you provide Dr. Stevenson with any alibi you can come up with for the time period it takes you to bail me out."

Henry paid full attention as the woman gave her plan, nodding when she was done.

"As long as you're alri- wait...how do you know Dr. Stevenson?" He asked, face turning to one of almost...wary suspicion.

The woman remained unfazed and she answered his question,

"It's complicated, but I guess the simplest answer would be that Dr. Stevenson and I...are roommates…"

Henry nodded slowly.

"Uh-huh..." He noised in reply. He knew something more was going on than a simple 'roommate' excuse, but decided to let that pass for the time being under more pressing circumstances. "I'll ensure you're free. I can't thank you enough for your help." He said in deep gratitude. "But..." He started, his tone turning to one of confusion, maybe even worry. "Why? You only just met me! Why endanger yourself to the..." he thought for a moment, "...second most dangerous person in town?" He asked.

The woman smirked and she repeated his question with amusement,

"Why?" She then chuckled. "Because...Mayor Bitch expects to see _you_ in jail. Imagine her shock and surprise when she sees a different stranger in the jail instead. Besides, no one would be surprised that the town harlot would end up in jail. In short, because it's fun."

Henry still looked confused, but it was more confused at her _motivation_ as opposed to her actions.

"Well, you're brave, I'll give you that."

"Think nothing of the deed. But, just know that if you double cross me..." She then leaned forwards and whispered in his ear in a seductive way, but her voice implied something much more dangerous, "...y_ou're dinner!_" After she whispered in his ear she slipped the envelope out of his hand and held it in her own.

Henry felt a certain tingling feeling rush through him in a moment, goosebumps appearing on his arms until she spoke - in which case he shuffled nervously.

"Don't worry about me cheating you. I honor my debts, and I can't afford to make any more enemies." He reassured, still keeping his composure. Oh if she only knew the extent to that truth. That was what landed him in this mess to begin with.

"Good."

Henry took a single step back to get a better view of the surrounding area to ensure no one was listening to their scheme. It was at this time he let himself look the woman up and down a few times, seriously studying her for the first time. The slender, yet well-built frame, curvaceous assets, the predatory eyes that seemed as likely to slit someone's throat as they were to seduce someone.

She too looked around her surroundings in case anyone overheard, and she looked back at Henry to see he was looking at her. She graced him with a slight twirl (pretending to turn around to look around her surroundings some more) so he could get the whole picture, and as a way to silently say that she knew what he was doing.

"Well..." He began, hands seeming to instinctively go to his coat pockets. "I believe it's the first time I've said this, but you're..." he seemed to search for a proper word to use. "…ravishing." He finally settled on, letting the word roll off his tongue with a cheeky smirk.

She smirked back and ran a hand through her hair.

"Thank you, sweetie, and as much as I would _love_ to stick around, I should go, _before_ you get caught red-handed with me." She then walked past him and she said smoothly "I'll see you around, Foxy,"

"Foxy, eh? I could get used to that." He decided with a shrug of his shoulders, turning to get one last glimpse of the woman who had broke out into a simple tune of "Stray Cat Strut" as she walked off in the opposite direction.

_"I don't bother,  
>chasing mice around...<em>

_Oh, I've got cat class,_  
><em>and I've got cat style…"<em>

Henry chuckled lightly, shaking his head before heading inside the inn. He had a long day ahead of him...

The mysterious woman on the other hand, headed for the place a criminal would most likely go with this much moolah: the bank. Of course, she wasn't planning on cashing in. She knew very well that the sheriff will see her with it and arrest her, and the mayor will have her plan foiled.

XXX

A good sheriff always has to be aware of his surroundings, and Robert was no exception. While he waited for the Granny to look through the records, he peered out of the window in the hotel, and saw two people conversing next to the car he parked behind. Although he could hardly be described as a people person, he at least bothered to make eye contact when talking, causing him to get only glimpses of what was happening outside. When he looked out later, he only saw one person, who was holding something in their hands and walking away at a rapid pace.

The conversation had taken longer than he hoped, fucking evasive old woman, but by the time it was over he'd gotten some valuable information about Henry, all of which he'd made sure to write down in his notes. Granny had been kind enough to allow him to access Henry's room after a bit of persuasion on his part (he may have dropped Regina's name once or twice), there would be no need for a search warrant. Robert felt slightly satisfied with himself as he walked outside the hotel, hoping to secure the envelope and arrest Henry as soon as possible.

Although he was not sure where Henry was, Robert was not particularly worried about him getting away, and he would like to deal with more pressing matters before searching his room. He followed after the person who he had seen walking away, and noticed that they were holding an envelope in their hands. While in pursuit, he passed Henry's car and noticed that the envelope had disappeared from the back seat, a fact which made him even more concerned about this stranger. As he grew closer, he could tell that he was not following Henry, but someone else, who had a more feminine appearance.

The mysterious smirked as she kept on walking at a fast pace, getting the feeling that someone was coming closer. She thought to herself in complete silence as he drew near, with her back towards the man pursuing her.

"_Come and get me, big guy._"

"Ma'am, could you please stop a moment? I'd just like to ask you a question or two. It'll only take a minute, and you could really help me out here." Robert said raising his voice for the woman to hear him clearly.

The mysterious woman stopped after he spoke up, and she turned quickly to face him.

"Hello, Sheriff. What is it you'd like to ask me?" She greeted Robert smoothly

He hadn't seen this woman in town before, which was worrying. Visitors were exceptionally rare, and it was unheard of to have two in the same day. Robert had a feeling that something strange was going on in town. When the woman stopped, he continued to walk closer, and got a good glimpse of the envelope in her hands. It was thick and roughly the same size as the one in the car, raising further suspicions.

"I was just looking into a matter tonight when I happened to notice you out here. I haven't seen you around here before, and it's awful late, do you need any help with directions? Also, would you happen to know anything about a man named Henry who just came to town? I need to find him, and I had a hunch you may have traveled here with him."

"No, but thank you for your offer, Sheriff. I've been in Storybrooke for as looooong as I can remember, so I know my way around. As for this Henry person..." she shrugged, and answered, "I only just met him tonight,"

Her answers only made him more suspicious. He knew everyone that lived in Storybrooke, and there was no way that she was a longtime resident. Robert walked closer, stopping only an arm's reach away.

"One more thing, ma'am. I'm going to need to do a brief search of your belongings, primarily that envelope in your hands." His tone of voice was firm and unfriendly, he was now acting as an officer investigating a crime, rather than a kindly sheriff looking to help a stranger.

The woman wasn't the least bit intimidated, she simply handed the envelope to the officer and she commented,

"You can ask the people who go to the Rabbit Hole about me. I usually can be seen there."

A brief glimpse inside the envelope confirmed his suspicion that it was the one from the car. Robert dropped it on the ground afterwards, so that he could have both hand free if he needed them.

"I'm sorry, but I have to place you under arrest. This will all go peacefully and smoothly if you just go along with it." Robert kept one hand free and the other on his taser, just in case.

The mysterious woman pretended to be shocked (with expert acting) asking,

"What?! Why?!" When he placed his other hand on a taser, she raised her hands to show that she wasn't going to struggle against him, and she said, "Okay. Okay..." She knew that she could fight him, but not if he had a taser. "Aren't you at least going to tell me what the charge is and read my rights?"

Without hesitation, Robert got out his handcuffs.

"A large amount of tax money has gone missing recently, last seen in the car owned by our visitor, Henry. I saw the envelope vanish when you had a conversation next to the car, and now I see that you have a very similar envelope. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? " While he talked with her, he walked her back to his patrol car.

"That all seems circumstantial, doesn't it Sheriff?" The woman asked, going along with him without any hesitance.

Robert made sure to bring the envelope with him, putting on the front seat after sitting the woman down in the back and started up the car.

"Don't worry, I'll look into other possibilities later. For now, I just want to get to the station."

At the station, he stored the envelope in the locker, and went through the usual booking procedures with the woman. She had no ID and refused to give a name, leaving Robert to simply fill it in as Jane Doe (another one?). Her fingerprints turned up nothing, but at least they would have something if they needed it in the future. This was the first time months he'd actually had to arrest someone, usually the stations cell sat empty exempt for one Leroy.

Robert left her with the deputy on duty, instructing him to let her make a phone call to get her attorney if needed. He knew he could at least trust Graham with that. It had been a long day, but he had finally finished his duties for now. He sent Regina a copy of the arrest report, making it clear that the unidentified woman was not the same one in the hospital, and that he would still investigate Henry. Because he didn't have much better to do, Robert made his way to Regina's house.

When he was on his way, Robert thought about how strange the whole day had been, having two visitors and a major robbery in just a few hours. He was a little sullen, worried that he had let such a major crime happen and that he had learned little about either of the strangers. He approached the large double doors of Regina's home and knocked promptly.

Regina pulled open the large door to her mansion, leaving it's double closed. She was still wearing her black business suit, however she had done away with the jacket long ago leaving her in tight fighting slacks that left little to the imagination from behind, only to be accentuated with the black, four-inch heels she still wore and a white dress shirt that had full length sleeves, but scooped down her neck to show off a great amount of cleavage.

She found Robert standing on her porch, as she had greatly anticipated, however the look on his face told her everything she needed to know and her once warm, welcoming smile fell into that of disappointment. Even her dark brown eyes, now black from the shadows of the night seemed to even look...softer.

"You didn't get him." She observed, realizing now that maybe she should have stayed at her office just a little bit longer to receive Robert's quick report on Henry's case.

Regina's tone of voice didn't make him feel any better, and he looked upon her apologetically.

"Someone else took the money out of his car, I arrested her on the way to the bank. She was also new in town, but didn't have any ID and wouldn't tell me who she was."

Regina's dark eyebrows furrowed dangerously.

"Someone..._else_..?" She asked slowly, not wanting to believe what her ears were relaying to her. She took just a brief moment to closer her eyes and rub her forehead to keep from exploding in anger. Henry on his own was a major problem, and now with yet _another_ stranger. That bottle of wine sitting in an ice bucket in the living room was suddenly starting to sound like it wouldn't be strong enough.

"You may go, Sheriff." Regina said suddenly, opening her eyes and moved her arms to cross them over her chest. "It's quite obvious now that I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands. These...strangers aren't welcome here in Storybrooke. If the female is working with Henry, then perhaps an alternate method is required." Regina paused to hold out one of her hands, palm facing up as if expecting something. "Your keys, Sheriff. To the office and cells." She explained, her voice now hard and demanding once again.

Robert frowned, and dug around in his pocket. He found three keys, dropping two into Regina's outstretched palm, and holding up the third one.

"This is the key to Henry's room at Granny's, I can search it as soon as you want, or I can give it to you. I can continue to trail Henry, or even arrest him if you want, I hope we can solve this issue as soon as possible." His tone of voice was cold, formal but sincere, Robert meant every word he said and genuinely wanted to help' _anything_ to make Regina happy. What Regina said worried him a little bit, but there was nothing about her statements that he opposed on principle.

"There's no need." She said flatly and palmed the two keys in her hand, not having any pockets to put them into at the moment. "At least, not tonight. Henry has already agreed to join me for dinner tomorrow. You may search his room then when I have him otherwise...occupied. We don't want to let on too early what we are about; he might run...and if he does then I will never know what made him come here in the first place. How long will you need at Granny's to find me something useful?"

"It's a small room, shouldn't take me more than an hour. I will be sure to make time in my schedule for that. Anything else you need from me?"

"No, but I'll let you know if I think of something."

"You always do." Robert said before he turned around and began to walk out the door. He was not satisfied with how many problems he was leaving unresolved, but at least the mysterious lady was behind bars. He left Regina's estate and drove home, a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be spending his evening in Mayor Mill's bed as he had initially thought, but perhaps this way he could get a good nights sleep.

Regina shut the door tightly and locked it before looking at the two keys in her hands, her mind racing on what her next move should and would be. Her thin fingers went back to her cellphone, and sent a hasty text to the very man who might have all the answers…or at least one answer she was particularly interested in.

XXX

Mr. Gold found himself back at his pawnshop, unlocking the front door and stepping quickly inside. He felt rather exposed, even in the dead of night wearing only his dress shirt and tie (which he had re-done since he had pulled it loose earlier). Standing behind the counter once more, he flipped open his phone to re-read the text sent not too long ago from Regina.

_We need to talk_

Though the years of unspoken conversations between himself and the Mayor, he had a pretty good idea what this was about. He didn't even need to reply as he already knew she would be expecting him there. It wasn't a moment later when there was an urgent knock on the front door, apparently he hadn't unlocked it completely when he had come back into his shop. With a collected sigh, Mr. Gold pushed through his office to the front of the shop, seeing Regina on the other side of the glass, peering into his shop and trying to spot him. Again Mr. Gold sighed. He _really_ didn't have time for this, but avoiding the mayor was just as successful as avoiding him; it wasn't.

He unlocked the door, and Regina pushed herself inside, walking directly to the counter that Mr. Gold usually stood behind and assumed he'd follow. He did, but he took his time, letting the sound of his steps fill the surrounding air around them as he limped heavily. Neither of them said a word until Mr. Gold took up his usual post behind the counter while Regina reached over to turn on one of the many lamps in his shop to give them a bit of light. The two of them just stared at the other for a prolonged period of time, almost as if they were trying to out-wait the other into being the first to speak.

"So..." Regina broke the silence. She wasn't exactly known for her patience.

"You realize that the shop is closed." Mr. Gold interrupted, now having the satisfaction of winning their little game.

"And _you_ realize that you opted to open the door." Regina replied curtly. "I'm here to ask you a question." She then said, getting right to the point.

"And what makes you think I'm willing to answer?" Mr. Gold asked, resting the palms of his hands on the counter top. Regina just smirked.

"Because I know you Gold, I know how to play you just as easily as you play others."

Mr. Gold pressed his lips into a thin line, the tip of his tongue running over his lower lip as he looked upon Regina thoughtfully.

"Ask away." He said to Regina with a nod.

"Whats your name?"

Her question caused Mr. Gold to smile ever so slowly.

"It's just...Mr. Gold..." He replied, keeping his smirk. Regina lowered her head a bit, glaring up at him with the shadows now intensifying her glare.

"Your _real_ name." She demanded.

"Every moment I've spent on this Earth...that's been my name."

"But what about moments spent elsewhere?" Regina questioned, making Mr. Gold take another moment to pause.

"What are you asking?" He asked quietly. Despite them being the only two in the shop, he had a certain paranoia of being overheard.

"I think you know." Regina said with a smile, although her voice remained firm. "You _really_ don't want to make me your enemy tonight Gold, it would only be too easy to dig something up that you tried so desperately hard to bury…"

Mr. Gold leaned himself over the counter, putting his face directly in Regina's path though he never let his eyes off of hers. He breathed a sort of laugh out through his nose, and his grin widened just a bit more.

"Rumpelstiltskin." He said barely above a whisper.

Regina's eyes went wide in shock. How? How was this possible? She was the one who cast the curse, everyone was supposed to be stripped of their memories! And yet...and yet she knew...somehow...the entire time. Mr. Gold's mannerisms at certain points had given it away many, many times; she was just too blind to see it.

"How?" Regina practically barked, her face giving way to the fact that she was not only confused; but terrified. What did this mean for everyone else in Storybrooke? Had she messed up in conjuring the curse somewhere? Did anyone else have their memories?

Mr. Gold remained completely calm, even almost looking like he was enjoying watching Regina squirm.

"You built it to keep me from interfering; what you didn't realize that not only could magic not be used on the inside, but on the outside as well. Your curse...couldn't touch me."

It all suddenly made sense. Everything Rumpelstiltskin had said from inside his cell _finally_ made sense. That's why he went along with being held prisoner, he knew the whole time! If he was untouched by the curse...that meant-

"Not to fear your majesty. As it turns out, I still need you alive...for now. But rest assured, I _will_ kill you for what you did to Belle."

**Author's Note:**

**I do NOT envy Regina right now. I can't imagine how frightening that would be. Anywho, thoughts so far? Let me know and I'll keep the chapters coming!**


	6. Chapter 6: It all Began at Granny's

**Author's Note:**

**Alright my dear readers, we got a bit of Shadow Wolf character development to take care of in this chapter. If you like character development and a light bit of fluff, then you'll enjoy this one. If not, hang in there, things will DRASTICALLY pick up in the next chapter!**

Ruby rolled over onto her side with a loud groan. She squinted her closed eyes even tighter to keep her vision completely black which was starting to seem impossible given the light streaming in through the windows. With another agitated groan, Ruby rolled back over onto her back, pulling the covers over her naked body and feeling the soft, warm pulses from a body next to her on the bed.

Wait...body?

Ruby sat up quickly, cursing under her breath as she opened her eyes and the light hit her hangover straight-on, swaying her first priority of finding out who she had been sleeping with the night before.

Jake slowly opened his eyes and sat up in bed. He stretched his arms out, thankfully not hitting his guest. He rubbed his hair and looked towards Ruby.

"Good morning, hope you slept well. That was a damn good night we had. Maybe we should do it again sometime." He got up and headed towards the bathroom to take care of some business. "If you want anything to eat or drink, you can go ahead and get it." He said through the door.

Ruby blinked a couple times, trying to push past the pain now pounding through her head. She watched as the boy got up and left the bedroom, feeling her stomach starting to churn at the mention of food. That's when reality hit her harder than her hangover. She frantically swiveled her head left and right trying to find a clock, praying to God that she wasn't late.

"Shit!" Ruby sprinted out of bed and scrambled for her clothes. Granny was just going to live with the fact that she was not only late, but incredibly hung-over and wearing the same thing she wore yesterday. What bugged Ruby the most, however, wasn't Granny's wrath, but missing Knox. Who was going to bring him his cheese fries?

"Hey, you alright in there?" Jake asked over the sound of a flushing toilet and running water. He opened the door and stepped out to the sight of Ruby scrambling to put clothes on. "You seem to be in a hurry." Jake put his own set of clothes on before continuing, "If you need to get somewhere, it'll be quicker if I take you."

"Yeah...if I could get...a ride...to Granny's..." Ruby breathed out attempting to strap on her heels while standing. "That would be great." She sat down on the edge of the bed, having given up on the impossible feat and finished getting her shoes on before looking up at his direction. "Uh...you...got a car?" She asked tentatively, racking her brain for any information as to what happened after the storage room closet at The Rabbit Hole. Just _how_ did she even get here anyway?__

Jake grabbed the keys to his jeep.

"Well, yeah. How else would I get around town? This apartment's on the town's edge, wouldn't make much sense to walk everywhere, especially if it was raining. Anyway, if you wanna make good time, you might wanna start hobbling over here to the door. I'll meet you outside. It's the red Jeep with the roof cover pulled back." Jake then stepped out and onto the landing. The apartment was pretty decent, especially for the price. He walked down the stairs and out into the parking lot, waiting for Ruby to catch up to him.

God Ruby hated 'the morning afters.' They were always so awkward when the guys started talking about doing it again and offering rides and what-not. She quickly tied her white shirt together in the front and headed out of the apartment behind Jake, attempting to smooth out her hair as she reached the jeep and got in. She pulled down the passenger-side mirror and pulled out a small red tube of lipstick from her red bra and applied it generously to her lips and then afterwards reached back into her bra and pulled out eyeliner and mascara and did the same, freshening up her eyes.

"Damn, you hide everything in there, don't you?" Jake hopped in the driver's seat and started the engine. A resounding _huumm _came next. He pulled the jeep out of the parking lot and drove off down the road. Jake glanced over at Ruby every now-and-then, seeing her trying to freshen up before getting back on the job. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't really have any feelings from last night. And if you ever wanna remember what happened, just let me know, I'll fill you in on all the details."

Ruby shot him an almost shy side-glance as she finished up on her makeup, the corner of her now ruby red lips turning up into a smirk.

"That bad was I?" She asked keeping her smirk. She _really_ must have been out of it for him to bring it up; but where she should have probably been embarrassed about it; she just shrugged and put her makeup items back in their hidden places in her bra. Clearly, this wasn't any sort of news to her. Once she checked herself out the best she could in the tiny visor window, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, frowning when she realized that it was completely dead.

"Tell you what..." Ruby said putting the useless phone into Jake's lap, letting her hand linger just a little bit longer than it should have. "...charge this up for me and bring it by Granny's after my shift. Then you can _fill me in_ on all the details." She gave Jake a flirty wink before turning to see that Granny's was just in sight and felt the jeep start to slow down.

"Sounds like a deal, then." Jake grabbed the phone and placed it in the center console. He pulled the car into the parking lot and gave Ruby a chance to hop out. As soon as she did, he drove off back to his place.

It was strange, she had gone to Granny's every day for some kind of shift, being morning, afternoon or night, but this was the first time ever that just by looking at the building she felt butterflies beginning to rise up in her stomach, slowly metamorphasizing into what she was sure was raging bulls. What the hell was Knox doing to her?

At his usual window seat of the diner, Knox sat in his full security guard uniform, and though the cheesy fries sat plainly before him…he didn't budge to eat it. No. Even with how careful he had been, he had allowed himself to become guilty over letting Ruby go off on her own last night, to worry this morning that she didn't come to serve him as usual. It was…a selfish thing for him to do so, her life, and her choices. She didn't belong to him, and heck, they were nothing more than acquaintances. The security guard was just as close to Ruby as that Jane Doe, whoever that woman may be.

Yes, he could plainly see that again, seeing her step out of a young bartender's (he vaguely recalled) car. Without even looking, he lifted his coffee cup…and set it back down again. Empty. It's been empty for more than twenty minutes now. Cracking his knuckles rather audibly, he spoke up to the serving waitress as she passed by, causing the girl to jump at the suddenness of it, "Get me a takeout box...and tell the owner than her granddaughter has returned safe and sound."

Ruby hurried inside without even so much as being slowed down by her high-heels. She brushed her shorts to make sure once more that she looked presentable by her standards and then hurried behind the counter to grab her tiny apron that covered up the red shorts. She could feel the hot eyes of Granny staring her down as she tied up the apron but she paid the old woman no heed and got to work; or at least what she called work, and headed over to Knox, shooing away the waitress who had been covering for her the duration of the morning.

"Hey, coffee cup's empty." Ruby observed out loud and reached over to grab it. "I'll just get that refilled for ya-"

"-No." Quick with a short interjection, Knox wasn't loud, but he was pretty damn clear, "Don't waste your time on me. You've caused your grandmother some trouble; go serve the other customers still awaiting their orders." Snapping his fingers loudly at the other waitress retreating, the girl jumping up again in yet more suddenness, Knox's mouth set into a firm line as he called out, "That takeout box."

Ruby stopped with the empty coffee cup still in her hand and looked back down at Knox. Her face was placid, however there might have been a slight sliver of hurt in her eyes for the briefest of moments. She tilted her head to the side a bit and rested her free hand on her bare hip, fighting the urge to say exactly what was on her mind, so instead she settled on,

"Is something wrong?"

"Ruby." Granny called to Ruby from behind the counter. There was no way the old bat could have heard Knox and Ruby from over there, so Ruby opted to ignore her for the moment; she needed to figure this out...something was eating at Knox, and she had a feeling it was something _she_ did.

Surprising even to him, Knox had stood up and reached a hand over, setting it on Ruby's shoulder. His eyes were, not even seeing his own expression but just knowing, sterner than what he'd like. Staring at the younger woman with a hint of melancholy, he couldn't help but let out the barest hint of a sigh, "Go to your grandmother, she may seem quite angry…but she's likely that much more worried."

"Ruby!" Granny called again, this time more urgent. Ruby, who had been holding Knox's gaze rolled her eyes and turned her head over her shoulder to call back to Granny.

"In a minute!" She quickly snapped and turned back to Knox.

Fighting with himself over what to say next, honesty or some restraint, he finally leaned in and spoke quietly. Though most knew of Ruby's nature (especially the men), he wanted—no, needed to say this _just_ to her,

"I'll be seeing you…like I always do. In the mornings at this diner…but I won't give you the sort of entertainment you were looking for with busboy there," His eye flicked over to the window for a fraction, before he continued, "So you shouldn't bother asking me out for drinks again...it didn't go to plan, anyhow. I'm sorry if that upset you."

"RUBY! Close your legs for just one moment and get over here!" Granny shouted, loud enough for everyone in the diner to hear. Ruby was used to Granny's insults, hell she was used to any and all sorts of insults from the people around Storybrooke who didn't quite agree with her reputation...but coming from Knox, someone she never expected something like that to come from; on top of Granny's yelling; on top of her hangover...

Ruby shot the waitress a glaring look as she handed Knox the takeout box, acting as if Ruby wasn't even there and even had the gall to flash Knox a sweet, innocent smile as she walked away.

Finally drawing back from Ruby, Knox gave her one final look, before going and fixing some of his uniform here and there. Taking the takeout box in his hand, finally, it felt heavier than a too thin cardboard box. Nothing he couldn't carry in his bare hands. With his fork, he began busying himself with the task of wordlessly scraping the congealed cheesy fries from the plate to the box.

Having nothing to say to him, about ready to explode, Ruby turned on her heel and quickly approached Granny who she had just realized was looking over the books that held the information of the Bed and Breakfast.

"I can't believe you did that! That was humiliating!" Ruby hushed a whisper to Granny. Granny, however, didn't seem to hear Ruby as she took off her reading glasses to get a better look at her Granddaughter.

"I want you to start working Saturday nights."

Ruby practically felt her jaw hit the floor. She tried leaning in closer, doing her best to keep the conversation between the two of them.

"Oh c'mon we have a deal about Saturday nights!" Ruby hissed in a whisper.

"I wanna start training you to do the books and the pre-orders. Business is booming lately, and with more money comes more paperwork." Granny said, issuing her worn hands towards the large book. Ruby rolled her eyes and stood up straight again, by habit putting her hand on her hip.

"Yeah...none of that sounds good."

"It's gotta be done!" Granny snapped back, no longer giving Ruby the courtesy of keeping the conversation quiet and raised her voice to a normal level. Ruby just stood there, blinking at her grandmother for a few moments.

"Is this a punishment? For coming in late?" Ruby asked with a tinge of attitude playing into her voice. It was now Granny's turn to roll her eyes.

"If I wanted to punish you, I have better reasons. For one thing, you're _always_ late, and for another thing..._Liza_, you dress like a drag queen during fleet week."

Ruby didn't even give Granny the courtesy of dropping her jaw on that one, and instead immediately came back with,

"And you dress like Norman Bates when he dresses like Norman Bates' mother!"

Granny paused, and took the higher road by changing the subject.

"Ruby, you're a grown woman. You can't keep acting like some kid!"

"You just want me to act like you until I turn in to you!" Ruby hissed back. "Well I am not a fossil yet, Granny. I should be out there having adventures!"

Granny shook her head and hotly began to fold the book back up and scurried around behind the counter to put it away, knocking over a few things in the process and not bothering to pick them up just yet.

"Well as long as you work here, you are going to listen to me!"

Ruby followed Granny on the opposite side of the counter, keeping it between them.

"I didn't ask to work here!"

"Then what's keeping ya?"

Ruby paused, then,

"Nothing! I QUIT!" Ruby didn't even hesitate her step as she then continued down the side of the counter and walked straight to the door, untying the small apron and threw it on the ground behind her as she stormed out with the bell of the Diner door ringing its taunting echo behind her.

Having silently just listened to the whole fight, quietly trying to scrape more of his cheesy fries into the cardboard box…by the fight at the counter between Granny and Ruby, Knox was scraping at nothing but an empty, cheese smeared plate. Setting the plate and fork down, shutting the takeout box, he followed Ruby out quickly. Standing at the entrance of the diner, the security guard called out to her,

"Are you going to just leave it at that?"

"Yeah, I am." Ruby replied hotly to Knox without even bothering to look at him. She stood there on the curb of the sidewalk, staring blankly at the road's ends to the right and left of her, feeling hot tears stinging the corners of her eyes.

Staring at her blankly, so many conflicting emotions and ideas on how to handle things…just minutes ago, Knox knew his own life was entirely separate from her own. Whatever she chose to do had nothing to do with him. What would happen would happen…regardless of his interference…?

_"Dammit."_

Coming up behind her, Knox checked his watch before setting a hand tentatively on Ruby's shoulder,

"It'll be within my work hours, but there is someone I want you to meet at the hospital."

Feeling his broad hand on her shoulder, Ruby quickly blinked away the tears and forced her dry throat to swallow before turning to look at him, pushing aside any hurt in her face to look somewhat normal again.

"The...hospital?" She asked inquisitively, not quite understanding who or what could be there that suddenly became somewhat important sounding to Knox. But maybe it wasn't about that at all, maybe he was just trying to make up for something, which in Ruby's opinion he had nothing to make up for. She was angry with Granny, not him. "You don't have to do this..."

Ignoring her commentary, Knox was already steering her lightly to the parking lot. Letting out a quiet grunt that turned into a frustrated sigh, he pointed at his old Camaro parked in the shade of some trees, in the furthest space of the lot, "I have fifteen minutes to get to work and punch in. Just come with me, see what I have to show you...then I promise to drive you to wherever you want to go afterwards." ...He'd have to see about asking another security guard to cover for him if Ruby needed to be driven to somewhere as far as the other side of town.

Ruby looked to the car and then to Knox and then back to the car, confusion still written on her face. She wanted to question him but frankly she was just too tired; too tired and still hungover.

"Alright, fine." She gave in with a quiet voice and walked with Knox to his car.

XXX

The hospital was quiet enough in the morning, though the sound of certain staff coming in and patience waking up could be heard. Signing-in appropriately, Knox nodded his head respectively at a fellow officer who he'd be replacing, he stepped away from the security office of the hospital and went back to Ruby in the lobby,

"Come. Follow me."

All business and a half in appearance and stance, motioning for the younger woman to follow him to the elevator, his heart was doing flip-flop palpitations at what was to come. Maybe he was making a terrible mistake, but...it was too late for him to back out, not without openly just wasting more of Ruby's time.

Ruby wordlessly followed him through the hospital, making a mental note at the slight strange fact that Dr. Stevenson wasn't anywhere within the hospital; at least not where Ruby could see. Perhaps she was in surgery? That would explain her strange absence. She just hoped that Mr. Gold wasn't still lingering around here somewhere.

Ruby got into the elevator with Knox and watched as the metal doors sealed shut and did her best to keep her eyes forward, concentrating on the moving number as they changed rather than dwell on the awkward silence between the two of them. It was then that Ruby stopped to think on why the hospital even had an elevator to begin with. There was the main floor of course, and a basement accessed only by the staff and a single story above the main floor, hardly large enough to require an elevator…

They didn't wait too long before getting to the first floor, stepping out of the elevator, Knox motioned for Ruby to follow him along again.

"…he can't move much, when he's awake, but he won't talk to me…" The ward was quiet, but reaching the door…his hand lingered on the knob of the closed door for more than a minute of mere solemn thought, before Knox finally pushed the door open and does an almost graceful gesture for Ruby to step in. "Come meet my father, Bruno Kowalski."

Ruby paused at the doorway, unable to feel her legs move any longer when Knox brought out the word father. Father? Knox had a father? Well of course he did, everyone had a father; Ruby just never really thought about Knox having his own family really. He was always alone, either at work or at Granny's before and after work. It was a bit of a shock really, but even more than the initial realization that Knox was just like everyone else, her shock then transferred to the fact that his father was in the hospital. Turning her confused expression that was caused by so many different things right now, she looked to Knox and whispered quietly,

"...what?"

The security guard ignored Ruby for the nth time, and soundlessly moved closer to the bed. For a moment, Knox looked like he might just reach over and shake the shoulder of the figure near cocooned in the blanket, but he instead seemed to snap his head up in realization…like he had only just remembered Ruby was present.

"He's asleep." Turning to her, his gaze flickered to the figure for a moment, before his full attention was on the girl again. "I can't remember what he said, back then, but he never gave up on me when many more did…"

His memory…didn't seem clear, for some reason. Then again, is seemed like nowadays, the condition was half of his father…consumed the memory of his healthy father was the depressing image of the portly man becoming thinner and thinner in a matter of a few years.

"He's become real enough of a father for me that I've given up on the other factors, but…do you even know what sort of relationship we had?"

Ruby folded her arms across her chest and took a few steps inside, shaking her head no lightly.

"No, but it was a good one I imagine." She said quietly, not wanting to wake the man. However, with Knox's brief explanation, she finally figured out why he had brought her here. The fight she had with Granny, he wanted her to understand the importance of family...to cherish what she had before she lost it. She bit at her lower lip a few times and shuffled her feet awkwardly. As if the guilt that had been welling up in her gut after she had left Granny's could have gotten any more uncomfortable...

The man's eyes darkened considerably.

"And yet, he won't even speak to me anymore. I don't know much about the medical condition, but he's had it for a long time…longer than when I became part of his family. A longer relationship. I can't hope to drive a wedge between him and his condition…his depression. And believe me when I say 'I've tried.'" There was a long sigh that followed, and quite abruptly, noticing her discomfort…he steered her out of the room again, to the hallway.

Ruby was only too glad to go with him, leaving the ominous air of the hospital room behind them. She learned three things in the last five minutes about Knox. He had a father, it wasn't his biological father, and he loved him very, very much.

"Fights are natural, apologize when you mean it…and more importantly, when you yourself are ready to hear how sorry you can become."

As if such a depressing and short visit hadn't just transpired minutes ago, Knox spoke up again,

"Do you have anywhere you can stay, for a few days?" Pausing for a moment, a hint of what may possibly have been a laugh left his lips, "Unless your plan was to fight, quit, leave, then go back to stay with your grandmother while looking for that new job…" Or find other places, others beds to rest her head in…

Ruby bit on her lower lip again, shaking her head no.

"I was just thinking of packing up and moving to Boston actually." She admitted, it being the very first thought she had once she told Granny that she quit, but as she thought about it now, with her temper now borderline normal, it seemed like such a stupid idea. She didn't have any money, no contacts, no plan...she'd wind up back in Storybrooke faster than the blink of an eye with nothing to show for it other than an even more damaged ego.

Knox looked away from Ruby, hearing her mention Boston, the security guard hid the barest hint of a bitter-sad smile.

"Sounds like something I wanted to do when I was much younger." Become a police officer in a big city…but the idea seemed to become more and more impossible with Bruno's condition worsening. Going from wanting to become a police officer, to settling for security guard to the institute for the infirm, to becoming the security guard for the hospital his father was staying in, "But I couldn't do that, I have someone I need to take care of." A pause. "You, go to Boston? Hmmm...what ever happened to those five facts? That smile?" At the time, it seemed like a childish thing to want or ask for, but at present...the right thing for Knox to be humoring her about.

Ruby feigned a light smile, laughing through her nose slightly and looked down at her feet as she absentmindedly shuffled them again.

"Oh, so I threaten to leave and _now_ you're interested in my childish games?" She half-teased and half jabbed at him, braving for the moment to look up at him once more. "I still have one more thing to learn about you, and get you to smile. So...maybe...so maybe I'll stick around to bug you just a bit longer; it will give me time to look for a job and a place in Boston before I just...show up..."

"I'm not one to leave important business unfinished, even if most of the benefits go to the other person." With a quiet sniff and a quick glance at his watch, Knox tilted his head slightly and raised a brow at Ruby inquiringly. "At this moment in time, unless you plan to distract people from doing their jobs," A few staff members here or there were ogling the girl and her outfit, "Is there a place you can stay? The offer to drive you anywhere, within fifteen minutes of the hospital, still stands."

A place she could stay? Ruby had to think long and hard about that. Really the only place she would be welcome would be the homes of the men she still slept around with, but it wasn't in her heart at that moment to open up those doors again, not even with Jake who she had spent the night with last night.

"Uh, you know what? I hear they have a great newspaper selection here...and internet...I could just, uh, stick around here for a bit and start looking for places and jobs in Boston." She suggested with a shrug. "Don't let me distract you from doing your job Knox, I'll be fine." She gave him a light nod, not really catching on to what he really meant, the looks of the male staff members going completely unnoticed by her until the Janitor, Leroy, gave a sharp whistle to Ruby.

With a snap of his fingers resounding like a thunder strike, his voice was not loud but sharp,

"Leroy, you work on the ground floor. What are you doing here?" As the smarmy janitor slunk away, Knox returned to give Ruby a rather skeptical look, "You can't stay here, not without causing a problem here or there…dammit…"

Ruby folded her arms even tighter over her chest and shot Knox a 'What's that supposed to mean?' kind of look.

Going over to a bright yellow telephone attached to the nearest wall, Knox spoke to the security office on the other end, finally hanging up after a few minutes.

"Ruby…" His expression was largely unreadable, but as usual, the sigh that followed was just plain tired, "…I don't suppose you have any clothing you can bring with you, but—don't touch anything that looks delicate, don't try and unlock the filing cabinets, don't unpack any of my stuff, clean up after yourself, no unapproved guests, bring the mail inside and leave it on the coffee table…"

Ruby blinked once...twice...three times. Was Knox offering for her to stay with him during this time? She hadn't at all been expecting that, however the offer wasn't unwelcome. Out of anyone in Storybrooke, Knox really was the only person that was unbiased about who she was, literally being the only male his age who _hadn't_ slept with her. And at that point, to Ruby, that was alright...even better, in fact. Probably the least awkward choice of where to stay while she figured things out actually.

She couldn't stop herself. Her hands dropped to their sides and she closed the distance between herself and Knox, throwing her arms around his neck and gave him a quick hug, her smile never faltering.

Mouth opening as if to speak, shut quickly instead to settle (momentarily) for the action of patting the girl on the back, his other hand hovering awkwardly at her waist not entirely sure what to make of itself. An attractive young woman was pressed up against him, but all he wanted to do was sort this...this out...and get back to work.

"I promise, none of that stuff. I'll even clean...do the dishes, make breakfast...whatever you need." After all, that's all she really knew how to do anyway. She pulled out of her hug and took a few steps back, giving Knox an endearing smile. "Thank you. Really. I promise I won't get in your way."

Honestly…honest to the Gods, the powers that be…Knox had no idea how he went from rejecting Ruby for future drinks, to full on inviting her to live in his house.

"I had to call the security office, since my place is on the other side of town." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his set of keys, fiddling with them before presenting her with a very new looking house key, "I'll drive you now. Please try and remember the directions in relation to the rest of town, I don't want you getting lost and causing the rest of town some trouble..."

"I'll be on my best behavior." Ruby promised, still with her genuine smile and then walked with Knox out of the hospital so that he may take her to her new, temporary home.

XXX

Ruby did what she could to keep herself occupied in the unfamiliar house. At first she just spent some time sitting on the couch with her hands folded in her lap, afraid to touch anything really but looked around at the decor. It was then that she realized that she could _really_ use a shower; especially from her events last night both at the bar and at the bartender's apartment.

Making up her mind (although she really didn't want to) Ruby left Knox's house, locking it up with the key he had given her and made the short walk to Granny's. She hoped to God that she wouldn't run into the old woman as she gathered her belongings, most importantly her showering supplies. When it came time to pick out some clothes that would last her a few days, she hesitated.

Knox's voice seemed to fill her head, remembering his comment about her clothes. It wasn't there in his words exactly, but it was implied. The way she dressed made him...what was the word? Uncomfortable? Well, something...and she couldn't do that to him anymore, not when he opened up his home to her for the time being. Ruby pushed towards the back of her closet and found some older clothes that didn't reveal so much and packed them up before leaving Granny's and then went back to Knox's place.

She got the shower she wanted, dressed in a normal pair of blue jeans and an burgundy sweater that only showed the skin of her shoulder that the neck didn't cover up (as it was the style to expose one shoulder). She found herself in the kitchen, looking up at the clock to check the time and had to wonder when Knox would be coming back..._if_ he came back at all. He worked nights after all, but then again, he hadn't slept since Granny's this morning...

Reaching a gloved hand over to a particularly small cobblestone, Knox pulled it up and plucked the spare key hidden underneath. Not a spare key anymore, not if someone was using either, not really. Rubbing some dirt off of it, in the darkness, he stared down at the grimy mini rubber chicken attached to the key ring.

More than his surprise at his sense of sight, getting better at seeing through into the darkness (though, admittedly, the eye sensitivity happened to also become a problem during the day), he was surprised that he'd finally have to put this set of spare keys to use again. Taking step after step up onto his porch, the wood creaking under him, Knox unlocked the front door and stepped inside.

Almost immediately falling into routine mode, he kicked off his shoes and popped the top buttons of his uniform shirt open, going to the kitchen then the fridge…the security guard stopped short of grabbing his bottle of beer, when…grabbing hold of two bottle necks with one hand, Knox slowly turned to look at Ruby suspiciously,

"What…tell me, what happened?"

Ruby stood there in the kitchen feeling even more awkward about being there than when she had first arrived at his house, alone. She fidgeted with her nails a bit, trying to hold his gaze but didn't find it to be all that easy. It didn't help matters either that he had automatically assumed that something was up.

"Nothing!" She said honestly, shifting her weight to her opposite hip, realizing she was picking at her nails and then shoved her hands into her jeans pockets. "Well, I mean I went to Granny's to get a few things of mine, and uh, I took a shower here - oh God, was I not supposed to do that? I could shower someplace else -"

There was something off about her; it couldn't just be her off choice of clothing, could it? It did indicate that she returned to her home at some point to pick up a change of clothing. With a bottle now in each hand, using the cap of one bottle against the other bottle, Knox popped both the tops off and caught them in his hand. Then, he offered Ruby one of the cold beers, though the look on his face said that he definitely needed a brief report of what she did since he had left her alone.

Ruby took the beer from him, but didn't seem all that interested in it. Her hangover was still nagging at her at the back of her head, and she didn't think that alcohol for her would be the best choice since her drunken actions were...unpredictable. She set the bottle of beer down on the table, looking away from him with a deep blush on her cheeks. God what he must think of her...pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.

Seeing Ruby become uncomfortable under his questioning and gaze, Knox rubbed the back of his neck, setting his own bottle on the counter before getting back to the fridge.

"I don't mean to unsettle you with an interrogative tone…just…I admit, your change in outfit threw me for a bit." Trying to reassure as honestly as he could, he hefted two bags from fridge…hesitating momentarily before pulling the zucchini, then another kind of squash from the first bag. The man didn't look happy about these, but Knox did make a small 'happy' sound as he pulled out two plastic wrapped raw and seasoned steaks from the other bag.

"I um...I didn't have a whole lot of clean clothes at home." Ruby lied, unsure if the change in clothes was what he wanted...or not.

Not a fan of the whole squash garden fruit-vegetable series, but the health benefits were superb…Knox wasn't allowed to just let that go. A single cough,

"Can you help me and prepare the vegetables?"

Ruby stood there, dumbly, trying to register his words and put the missing pieces together as if she had _just_ realized that he had been pulling food out of the fridge.

"Uh, oh yeah! Sure!" She exclaimed happily and rushed over to him, finding a knife in a holder that had been on the counter. She quickly ran the knife under some hot water, a quick clean, and then began to wash the vegetables in the sink.

"I um...I wanted to thank you again...for uh, helping me out." Ruby said into the silence, not sure if it was the silence that was bothering her or the way that he seemed to not really...notice her the way other guys did. "I'll um, do the dishes, and clean, like I promised before..." She glanced over at Knox. "But...you gotta give me permission to touch stuff first." She added on as a bit of a tease, a pathetic effort to lighten the mood and clear the air.

Raising a brow at the girl's teasing as he got out the grilling pan, Knox nudged her gently as not to jostle her as she cut the vegetables, and then leaned in when he was sure Ruby wasn't going to chop off a finger.

"You're free to _touch anything_ you want." Moving back, he set the pan on the stove and set the heat High, for now. Paying attention to the stove carefully, he finished what he was saying offhandedly, "So long as you swear not to break a thing, intentionally or no."

"I break it, I buy it?" Ruby asked with a white smile having to crane her neck to look up at him. Her tall five-foot-ten had nothing on his near seven feet. She finished chopping up the freshly washed vegetables and took the initiative to go to the fridge to find some butter and put a couple scoops into the frying pan, waiting until the butter had melted into it before adding the vegetables. Okay, this was getting easier. Not much...but a little.

"You break it, you buy it? No, no…you break it, and I won't be trusting you again." Despite how it was phrased, his tone was lighter than normal. Taking it easy with the pan, Knox greased and lowered the heat, flicking his eyes over at Ruby's own work. Sure, her cuts of the vegetable weren't the neatest, as was plainly evident…but somehow, her cooking looked more appetizing then when he usually prepared…somehow.

"You work tonight?" She asked, remembering that he did have the previous night off, and wondered if that was all he got.

Getting the steaks on the hot pan,

"I've taken the rest of the night off, which isn't much. I'll be returning to the hospital early enough in the morning, anyhow." With the short answer, he fell silent in thought. The raw steaks sizzled pleasantly, the smell were a treat to the nose, "How cooked would you want yours?"

Ruby looked from her sizzling vegetables in her pan to the steaks cooking over by Knox, an audible growl coming from her stomach. Oh God, steak! When was the last time she had a steak?

"I like it pink, but not bloody." She answered it truthfully. She enjoyed the added flavor of rare cooked meat; for as long as she could remember. She remembered once getting upset with Granny because Granny didn't want Ruby making 'special' orders for her hamburgers, wanting them a little more raw than not. The memory made her laugh out, just a bit, but she quickly covered up her smile and added salt and pepper to the vegetables. She didn't know what she was doing; not really. Granny and the cooks in the diner had always done the cooking, she had just been the waitress, but she felt that she had watched them cook enough to get a brief idea of what needed to be done.

"Tomorrow morning, you'll be coming with me to the hospital."

Ruby shot Knox a sideways look, her brown eyebrows raised in question.

"Look, I got your unspoken message, I don't really think I need to go and see your dad again." Ruby replied, of course assuming that she already knew what this was about. "I'll...I don't know what I'll do but before I leave to Boston I'll...talk...to her at least...maybe say goodbye..."

Taking a plate and setting it down on the counter beside the stove, quite loudly, a medium cooked steak was dropped onto the plate rather unceremoniously.

"And how, exactly, do you plan to pay for your trip to Boston? Your stay in Boston, till you find a job?" Saying this rather pointedly, Knox gave Ruby a sharp look as he continued to cook his own steak, "I'm setting you up with a temporary job at the hospital's cafeteria."

"I-oh..." Ruby brought in her lower lip, wishing that was all she had to do to suck her words back, wishing she had never said them. Again, he was helping her...far more than she ever thought he would. So it wasn't about his father, it was helping her to leave for Boston, like she wanted.

Ruby sighed, taking the vegetables off the burner and separated them evenly between their two dinner plates before taking the pan to the sink and ran hot water over it. She would rather it be cleaned up now while it was still hot rather than letting it sit on the counter while they ate. She might not have known how to cook, but dishes, dishes she did often.

"Why...are you helping me?" Ruby asked, keeping her eyes on the pan. The conversation he had, explicitly stated that he would be her friend (though she knew it to be more of an acquaintance) and nothing more than just the guy she brought cheese fries to everyday.

Knox set his well-done steak onto his plate,

"'I don't really think I need to go and see your dad again', wasn't it? It's been a long time since I could even consider the idea of leaving this town, especially now, since he's…" It had been a long time since Knox had accepted the fact he could never just leave, even if his father didn't want him to stay, even if he couldn't do anything for the old man. "Everyone should have the right to make their own choices, to make their own mistakes…"

Taking his bottle of beer, he downed it in one go, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and turning the stove off with the other. "You should leave this town while you still can, Ruby."

"I tried once." Ruby said trying not to stare at Knox when he downed the whole beer. "I got to the boundary line when I got a phone call..." Her voice lowered almost in a whisper, looking back down at her soapy hands in the sink. "...Granny had a heart-attack."

Knox leaned very slightly against the counter, having a hard time finally looking at Ruby again, his eyes sympathetic.

"I'm sorry that you both went through that." Lowering his gaze again, he caught sight of her near untouched beer…in a rare act fueled purely by impulse, Knox took it and downed it quicker than the last. "And even so, you still want to just go?"

Ruby turned from the sink, wiping her soapy hands on the towel before resting her palms on the counter behind her.

"Yes?" She asked, more questioning herself. When he put it that way..."No...?" She sighed and threw her hands up in the air with a quiet, "I don't know..."

Pausing for a moment, almost stuck on what to say,

"If you leave, I'll take care of your grandmother for you." What was another person to take care of, to watch over…? Equal parts honest, bitter, and tired...

"I-" Her words caught in her throat again, now unable to look away from Knox, contradictory to not being able to look at him just moments ago. "Look I don't know what I want right now, I quit because I was angry. She's trying to make me like her and I'm...I'm not ready for that!" And there it was, the truth, something even Ruby didn't know until the words tumbled from her mouth. She looked surprised and clamped a hand over her mouth, repeating the words she had just said over in her head. She was scared, scared of what her future held, scared of having to take over Granny's position if something...if something were to happen...

Blinking in surprise, clarity of the situation…

"And truth of the matter has come to light now, I see." This was an odd situation, Ruby was afraid of becoming like her grandmother. In actuality, Knox was sure that they had very similar personalities; they were both quite stubborn if the fight was anything to go by. Neither yielding to the other, like two stags tangling horns.

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes at the mere thought, and she quickly turned back around to look at the sink, nearly feeling like she just might hurl into it.

With Ruby in tears and turning away to the sink, Knox had the obvious choices. Of course, he didn't have time to list and think on them, and instead, he clasped Ruby's hand in his. Pulling her close, slowly reaching his free hand up, he rubbed circles carefully into her back.

"Shhh…Ruby, Ruby…" This situation…just…it was getting harder and harder to deal with. Only managing to murmur the girl's name back at her, he couldn't help but be struck by how exactly he ended up here, and how worried he felt now. It seems like all Knox could do was meet new people, then worry about them and their problems.

Ruby felt herself being turned and with her mind clouded with everything and nothing at the same time (as well as her eyes being blinded by the un-shed tears) Ruby had little choice but to hold onto what was feeling like an embrace of comfort and let her head rest on his chest, Knox being too tall for it to fall on his shoulder.

"No need to cry. Everyone is okay, everything is okay…"

She nodded blindly at his comforts, holding onto the only thing that felt solid anymore, the only thing that felt real and right. Him. Before she could make a fool out of herself though, Ruby found the willpower to pull away from him and quickly wipe away the one tear that slipped down her cheek.  
>"I um...didn't have much of a chance to look around. Is there a particular room you want me to sleep in? The couch is fine, really...I'm just...really tired right now."<p>

Knox stared at Ruby's eyes long and hard…before crossing, uncrossing, and crossing his arms again in a rather peeved manner. His mouth was set in a firm line.

"What are you—running from your own feelings, even?"

Ruby felt her jaw drop. What? Where had he come up with that? Sure he was right if she really wanted to give him that credit, but actually calling her out on it...? The tears immediately left her eyes and she felt a sort of fire ignite in her chest, burning down the short fuse that had grown only shorter throughout the day.

"I'm not running from anything!" She practically shouted back, her pride obviously hurt from being called out on. "It's just...been a long day, and I didn't get much sleep last night." She explained. Well, at least that last part was true, but given her...reputation, she knew immediately that was exactly the wrong thing to say.

"I meant...I'm just...just...just stop caring about me okay? You're making this _really_ difficult!"

There was an angry noise that came from his mouth, and with it, Knox stood over her in an instant. Hand out tilting the girl's chin up and forcing a rather angry, deep kiss upon her, he growled into her lips one final word,

"Fine." With this, Knox turned and left the kitchen, then the house entirely—the door slamming loudly behind him.

Ruby didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She watched Knox storm out of the room, and then hearing the front door slam shut, the sound seeming to jostle what she was really feeling aside from what she thought she was feeling. She swallowed hard, refusing to touch her fingers to her lips where she could still feel his kiss lingering. It was different than kissing any other guy in Storybrooke, she just didn't know how. She shook her head and took it upon herself to put away the untouched food into plastic containers.

She only spent a short amount of time cleaning up the kitchen before grabbing a red knit scarf from her packed bag and a matching red knit beret. She needed air. A lot of it. She adjusted the beret and then went out the back door, not wanting to risk bumping into Knox on her way out and headed to the Toll Bridge where she would just sit and think. Not just about him, but what was becoming of her, what she really wanted to do with her life, and how she was going to fix things with Granny.

**Author's Note:**

**Yeah, I called them Shadow Wolf but I'm not quite sure that name applies here in Storybrooke lol. Anywho, with that out of they way (I loved the fight between Granny and Ruby too much to not put in in the story somewhere) we can now move onwards with the actual plot :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Truth

**Author's Note:**

**As promised, this chapter definitely picks things up a bit. Again a slight use of previous scenes from the show here, but modified heavily so be sure to read carefully. Also, a new character is introduced! Hurray!**

_Many, many years ago…_

_There was a light rap at the door and Rumpelstiltskin turned his head to look at the old, warped door. It was so poorly crafted that a large gap between the door and threshold allowed in a cool gust of wind, followed by a couple snow flurries that immediately melted onto the stone floor before the roaring fireplace._

_Upon habit, Rumpelstiltskin turned his head away from the door, willing whoever it was to just go away and let his soft brown eyes fall back onto the slow burning candle on top of the table in the center of the room, a poorly knitted baby blanket folded neatly next to the candle making the red stitching on the blanket illuminate the word 'Baelfire' as a haunting memory of what he had lost._

_A second, louder knock came from the door and Rumpelstiltskin turned his head once more to look at it. His shoulders heaved heavily as he sighed and reached over for his walking stick and pushed himself up, taking his time as he limped heavily to the door before opening it just a crack. On his doorstep was a short, stout man wrapped up in a tattered, burlap cloak with the hood wrapped so tightly around his face, Rumpelstiltskin wasn't so sure if it was the just the cold that made the man's face blue._

_"I'm sorry to bother you sir, but might you have a spot on your hearth for a lowly man down on his luck to warm up his bones for a spell?" The beggar asked._

_Rumpelstiltskin was conflicted; he hadn't allowed a single soul into his home ever since Milah and Baelfire had been taken by the pirates, and those who did come to visit were those who came to rub the fact that he was a coward into his face, in which he would just promptly shut the door back on them..._

_But then Rumpelstiltskin remembered the Ogres War; and how his journey home in similar circumstances had abused his body even more than the self-inflicted injury so that he could return home. Another gust of wind picked up, pushing past the beggar and stung Rumpelstiltskin's tired and worn face as a reminder, and so he promptly nodded and allowed the beggar inside._

_"I don't have much, but I can offer you some warm broth if you would like." Rumpelstiltskin said closing the door behind the beggar as the stout man hurried towards the hearth, ripping off his rags for gloves and holding them up to the fire, clapping and wringing them together in an effort to speed up the process._

_"Whatever it is you can spare will be a welcome contrast to the fate I was to have out in the cold." The beggar replied gratefully and Rumpelstiltskin busied himself with getting an old tin cup and filled it with the warm broth that had been stewing inside a small cauldron hanging above the fire pit. Rumpelstiltskin handed the cup to the man and then hobbled his way back over to the table where he blew out the candle, the moment of remembrance for what he had lost disturbed._

_The beggar spent a few more moments warming up at the fire, though his eyes were now on his gracious host. The candle and baby blanket didn't go unnoticed by the older man, and felt it in his place to speak up about it._

_"I'm sorry...I-I didn't realize I was intruding..." He stammered. Rumpelstiltskin just shook his head no, watching the smoke of the once burning candle dissipate into the air, indicating that the beggar was no trouble at all. Silence hung in the air as the beggar sipped at the warm broth, but again opened his mouth to speak. "My condolences."_

_It could have been the flickering shadow cast by the fireplace, but at the man's words Rumpelstiltskin seemed to have aged a couple more years. The creases in his face deepening and the crows feet at his squinted eyes becoming more prominent and the silver wisps in his hair shining in the darkness of the hut._

_"She's not dead. She's just lost." Rumpelstiltskin corrected the man in a bitter tone that was in no way directed towards the beggar. There was a long pause, and then he added on, "She would have been six today."_

_"Taken?" The beggar repeated and made his way from the fireplace and took the second chair at the table, sitting across from Rumpelstiltskin. "So go and get her back!"_

_Rumpelstiltskin laughed out to hide his sorrow. This beggar knew nothing of his pain, of his cowardice. Simply getting Baelfire back just wasn't as simple as the beggar might have thought. There were too many...complications._

_"I wouldn't know where to look." Rumpelstiltskin then said honestly, and to his surprise the beggar smiled._

_"You might not know where to look, but I know someone who does."_

_Rumpelstiltskin shifted in his chair, the wooden legs creaking in their old age under his weight and threatening to give way. He paid the chair no heed though, as his attention was now completely on the beggar's words._

_"Who?" What did the beggar know? How could he possibly know someone with that kind of knowledge? A mix of skepticism and interest peaked in his eyes, vanishing the tiredness that had plagued them just moments before._

_The beggar set down his cup of broth on the table and leaned in forward towards Rumpelstiltskin, keeping his voice down despite the fact that no one else was around that could possibly overhear them._

_"The Dark One."_

_Rumpelstiltskin straightened up as quickly as if there were a string attached to the top of his head and some puppeteer pulled it taught. The Dark One? Was this man out of his mind? No one asked a favor of The Dark One without paying a heavy price; and though he hated to admit it Rumpelstiltskin knew what happened when dabbling in dark magic; it cost him his wife's love and any chance that his daughter would have a hero for a father, instead replaced by cowardice. The seer was bad news, and The Dark One would only be worse._

_The beggar smiled broadly once more, as if reading Rumpelstiltskin's mind though it wasn't too hard to guess what he was thinking since the worry on his face seemed to tell all._

_"Just imagine, with The Dark One on your side, you can do anything. You can have your girl back, and rain down terror on those who took her away from you for the rest of their miserable lives."_

_"But I haven't anything to offer!" Rumpelstiltskin replied immediately, his voice cracking as he was once again reminded of just how helpless he really was. The beggar's smile faltered, realizing the honesty in Rumpelstiltskin's words. The beggar seemed to shy away then, as if hiding a secret, but Rumpelstiltskin was quick to catch on._

_"What? What is it?" He demanded, desperation dripping from his words._

_"Well...there's...a dagger..." The beggar began. "They say that if you control the dagger, you control The Dark One."_

_"A dagger?"_

_"Aye, they say the true name of The Dark One is engraved into the steel, and The Dark One becomes powerless against its wielder, forced into doing the will of the one who controls it." The beggar paused to lick his cracked lips. "Why else do you think The Dark One would be subjected into helping the Duke gather the children for the Ogres War? Why would someone as powerful as The Dark One subject himself into working for someone as powerless as The Duke?"_

_This caused Rumpelstiltskin to pause, and think. The beggar had a point; he had seen this very thing first hand when The King's army came to this very village and began to pull away the fourteen-year old boys from their families. One courageous father tried to interfere by fighting the Duke's men in an order to save his son from their death sentence, but a large wave of magic pushed the father down into the dirt and The Dark One made himself known; sitting on horseback with the Duke's Men covered heavily in a black cloak that concealed his identity._

_"So then, The Duke has the dagger?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, wanting to make sure he had the correct information. The beggar nodded._

_"He has to, there's no other explanation." The beggar then grabbed the tin cup and took a drink of the slowly cooling down broth. "Take the dagger, control The Dark One, get your life back."_

_The beggar made it all seem so easy, but there was still something holding Rumpelstiltskin back...his sense of honor._

_"I...I couldn't control someone like that; a servant...it's...it's not me..." Perhaps it really was his sense of honor talking, or perhaps it was his cowardice looking for excuses to not put himself in such dangerous circumstances, and the beggar made another face; he knew something more._

_"Then take the dagger and plunge it into The Dark Ones heart. The Dark One will die, and his powers will become yours to do with as you please." The beggar gruffed, throwing the idea out there but not actually thinking that Rumpelstiltskin would take the bait. If it was as easy as he made it out to be, then there would most certainly have been a new Dark One by now._

_Rumpelstiltskin paused once more, looking the beggar up and down with a face of both humility and concern._

_"Why are you helping me?" He finally asked, and the beggar finished up his broth before answering,_

_"I know how to recognize a desperate soul."_

XXX

Presently…

Mr. Gold sat on the edge of his bed, thumbing the sixteen inch steel dagger between his two hands. His dark browns never left the name etched in black into the silver blade, 'Rumpelstiltskin.' He had done as the beggar had suggested. That very night, after the beggar had left, he had gone to the Duke's Castle, and burned down the wooden rafters as a distraction so he could slip inside. Finding the dagger wasn't all too difficult, hidden behind a tapestry that seemed to be out of place compared to the rest of the decor in the room. He didn't even give the dagger a second glance as he grabbed it and ran, far away from the castle until he was so deep into the woods he wasn't sure just how he would find his way back. Only then did he pull the dagger out and examine it closely.

There was a different name on the dagger back then, Zoso. Raising the dagger to the sky, he had summoned The Dark One who appeared almost immediately and Rumpelstiltskin plunged the dagger into The Dark One's heart, the thought of using The Dark One's powers to bring back Baelfire clouding his judgment for any consequences that would be soon to follow. As The Dark One lay there dying in the dirt, the contorted, scaly green skin of The Dark One's face melted away and Rumpelstiltskin recognized him immediately as the very beggar that had gave him the idea of killing The Dark One in the first place.

Zoso eased Rumpelstiltskin's confusion by stating that being The Dark One came at a heavy price, it was a prison sentence that he was ready to be released from, even if that meant in death. Rumpelstiltskin watched as the curse took his body over and his blood began to grow hot. In Zoso's last words, he warned Rumpelstiltskin that all magic came at a price, and then he was gone, and Rumpelstiltskin screamed out in agony as all The Dark One's magical powers forced its way into his body.

The dagger held no power over him here in Storybrooke, but things were changing. Henry was here, and he would break the curse. Mr. Gold hadn't parted with the dagger since he had acquired it over a thousand years ago, but due to the circumstances, he knew it would not be safe in his possession much longer.

Making up his mind, Mr. Gold used his cane to help him up and he walked to the end table, wrapping the dagger in a square of canvas he had pulled out previously and bound it with rubber bands. He then bent over the slow burning candle with an old, worn baby blanket folded neatly next to it. He blew out the candle and headed outside his home to hide his one and only weakness.

XXX

A gentle wind seemed to breeze through the forest, making odd _whistling_ sounds, as if the trees were making quiet conversation amongst themselves. Birds began to make their chirping sound as they awoke from the night's rest, and squirrels scuttled from branch to branch in search of nuts. The morning sun dappled across the expanse, the treetops transforming the sunlight into odd patterns across the landscape: all was quiet, all was peaceful.

Mark Dufresne had gotten to work no more than an hour earlier, packing up his equipment with haste. He had enjoyed the weekend out in the woods, but he had a shift at the fire station, and God forbid _he_ be late.

His dog, Grip sauntered about the campfire lazily, perking his ears this way and that as the woodland sounds piqued his interest. Mark could only offer a small smile to his German Shepherd companion before stuffing his mess kit in his backpack.

He stamped out the still-smoldering remains of his campfire; ensuring to leave no mark of his presence in the woods. He looked down at his wrist, his watch giving the time at around 8 o'clock. Mark nodded approvingly; he would have enough time to grab a quick breakfast at Granny's and drop his gear off at his house before heading into work for the day.

He continued working on in silence. His peace was soon interrupted, however, when Grip stopped dead in his tracks. The German Shepherd's fur seemed to bristle, and a low, guttural growl came from deep in his throat.

Mark gave the dog a peculiar look, Grip only growled when something I _truly _dangerous was about, he had never been the type of dog to bark at the wind or his own shadow. Mark instinctively placed a single hand on the hunting knife that was strapped securely to his thigh, eyes sharp and alert for any danger.

The rustling in the bushes continued, something large enough to make a few thicker twigs snap in a ghostly echo of the morning air, getting closer and closer until finally, Mr. Gold pushed his way through the bush and into the clearing, pausing to lean heavily on his cane once he spotted that he was no longer alone but unable to keep a smile out of the corners of his eyes, obviously very pleased with something.

Aside from his usual business attire, a rather large green gardening apron protected his four piece suit from the elements of the forest, giving way that Mr. Gold was indeed not here by accident, although humorous that the apron could really keep his suit clean in all areas, however not a spec of dirt could be seen anywhere but the apron.

"Good morning Mr. Dufresne. Sorry if I startled you." Mr. Gold offered in what _almost_ sounded like sincerity in his thick, Scottish accent, hinting with a drawl of boredom.

Mark quickly released the grip of his blade, choosing to rest both hands in his pants pockets.

"A good morning to you as well, Mr. Gold; pardon my actions, I thought you might have been a wolf." He explained, his words sounding conversational enough, but his tone was stiff and slightly uncomfortable. Grip continued to leer at Mr. Gold even after the pawnbroker made his presence known.

Mr. Gold flashed a sideways smile, his white teeth and single golden-capped tooth glinting in the morning light, a twinkle in his eye as if thinking of something amusing.

"Did I forget to shave?" He mused.

"Oh, no..." Mark began, scratching the back of his head. He wasn't quite used to joking banter, and was obviously fishing for a proper response. "What are you doing out here anyways? If you don't mind my asking." He finally settled on, calling Grip to him with a simple pat on his hip.

"Oh, just a spot of gardening." Mr. Gold replied with a gentle shrug of his narrow shoulders, and as if to prove this, he reached back behind the bush, procuring a shovel that had been resting against a tree that had been well hidden from sight behind the bushes he was still standing beside. Fresh, clumped dirt covered the spade, but just like Mr. Gold's suit, the rest of the shovel remained immaculately clean. "Yourself?"

"Just camping for the weekend. I come out here every few weeks when I want some time to think." He replied nonchalantly, securing a few more items to his backpack while he spoke; though never letting his eyes off of Mr. Gold longer than a few seconds. "Pardon the observation, but I would have never taken you for a gardener." Mark said simply, standing still to look directly at the Scottish man once more.

Gold's smile brightened, if just a bit and palmed the handle of his cane a bit, answering with a snide smile,

"I suppose not." He said simply and then after a pause. "But then you don't really know me, do you?" Letting it rest at that, with his cane in one hand and shovel in the other, Mr. Gold began to walk forwards, back towards the trail that would lead him back to the town. "Enjoy the quiet while you can." Gold then said just before disappearing into the thicket of trees, his voice holding something that almost sounded like...like a warning.

"Huh...sure." Mark simply responded to himself with a slight shrug. Mr. Gold made him feel nothing short of uncomfortable, as if he knew something no one else did. Pushing this thought to the back of his mind, Mark finished packing up his gear before beginning the short hike that led to Storybrooke, Grip treading closely at his heels. With the newcomer rolling into town, something inside Mark seemed to signal to him that this would be far from a normal week.

XXX

The analog clock inside the Sheriff's office just hit 8:00 am, and no sooner than the second hand could even tick once more did the doors open, but it was not Robert who came into the room that held the cells, but Regina. She pocketed the key that Robert had given her the night before into her suit jacket pocket, patting it for good measure as she walked with purpose towards the cell that held the mystery woman Robert had sent her a report about.

In the cell, the mysterious woman was humming 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' to herself as a way of killing time and waiting for Henry or that mayor to show up. As soon as the mayor entered, the woman easily picked up the smell of expensive perfume that was tinged with a bit of fear, alerting the woman to the mayor's presence. The woman's pitch black eyes opened as she stopped humming, and she slowly faced the mayor.

Regina approached the cell and enclosed her small hands around the bars, peering inside so close that her forehead was practically pressing up against the two bars, her dark brown eyes glaring down at the woman who Regina didn't bother getting to know in the past, but now that she knew who it was in her cell, (the mystery woman that had been seen around Storybrooke for quite some time) the once emerging beast that had quelled in her stomach overnight subsided; relief washing over her as she was able to gather that she was, indeed not, with Henry.

The woman also went and stood at the bars, meeting her cold, soulless gaze with Regina's gaze, not at all fazed by the anger in her eyes. She said nothing as she smirked and greeted coolly,

"Yo, Mayor lady."

"You wanna tell me how you came by ten-thousand dollars of Storybrooke's tax money?" Regina asked with no regard of hiding her venomous tone, opting to ignore the chivalry in the woman's voice.

The woman chuckled and she retorted, like she was lightly scolding a child.

"Now, now, Madam Mayor. It's not polite to ask questions that you already know the answer to. Besides it would take out the fun in playing make-believe, now wouldn't it?"

Regina's upper lip curled into a bit of a snarl at the word 'make-believe.' She didn't even blink, though, as she continued to stare the woman down. Now that some of her questions had been answered, more arose.

"Who are you?" She decided on asking at last, her tone notwithstanding even a hint of trying to be polite.

The woman merely shrugged and said with great casualty,

"Can't answer that,"

"Why not?" Regina demanded, though kept her voice down.

The woman laughed as though Regina had told a mildly funny joke.

"Don't want to, and I don't even have a name to give you. Too bad, so sad,"

Regina straightened up her gait a bit, releasing her hands from the bars which she had just realized had been clutching onto so hard the tips of her fingers had lost feeling.

That wasn't possible; the girl had to be lying. She gave everyone a name, _everyone_. Regina's eyes never left the woman's, her lip curling in another (though lighter) snarl, as if the woman's very presence before her disgusted her beyond measure.

"Why do you protect him?" Regina folded her arms across her chest, turning so that she was sideways against the prisoner, but her head still turned to better keep a close eye on her.

The woman tilted her head sideways, but kept her smirk and her gaze on Regina. She answered the mayor,

"Why not? Besides, it's quite _rude_ to frame a guest of Storybrooke of any crimes while they're in town, don't you think?"

Regina pursed her lips in annoyance.

Then the woman called out, like a child playing a game,

"My turn! Why frame a guest anyways? I'm sure innocent ol' Henry has done nothing to you."

"You know nothing." Regina practically spat at the prisoner. She took a moment to unfold her arms and dug into her pocket, feeling the two keys kept safe inside and pulled out the second one and held it up to the woman, though she was far away enough that the prisoner couldn't just reach out and grab it.

"I hold the key to your cell here in my hand. You would be wise to cooperate or so help me - you might want to remember that I _am_ Mayor of this town, and my influence on the DA is more than important in deciding what will become of you within the next few days."

The woman raised an eyebrow, her smirk faded, and she stepped back.

"What's the condition?" She asked, her face now gravely serious.

Regina sighed loudly, the vein in her forehead now prominent in her obvious irritation. God, it was like dealing with Rumpelstiltskin on a bad day.

"Your immunity for information." She said simply, a heavy breath coming from her nose in an effort to keep from losing her temper. "The _correct_ information."

The woman looked at Regina and she smirked again. She then answered, not giving her a chance to amend or add to her deal,

"Alright. Deal."

Regina couldn't explain it, but suddenly her arms felt stiff and uncomfortable. Underneath the barrier of her suit jacket sleeves, goosebumps caused the hairs on her arms to stand on end. Something...unsettling about how the woman answered her, but she refused to pause on it.

"Now...I'll ask you again. Why. Help. Henry?"

The woman smirked.

"I told you the truth earlier. You see, I don't lie." She then stated, her voice lowered into an animalistic growl or sneer, "I believe you are going to let me out now." She raised both of her eyebrows as she stared at Regina to show her seriousness.

"Not until I get the answers I want." Regina furrowed her eyebrows together, returning her hands to the bars with her forehead resting on the metal, but putting the key back into her pocket before she did. "Give me something of importance, your answer will determine if you walk free or not."

The woman's predatory smirk widened to show her pearly whites that seemed almost _unnaturally_ sharp. She suddenly jumped towards the bars quickly, and wrapped her hands at the bars.

"You remember Storybrooke's little guardian angel, the head of the hospital, yes? Your reliable little doctor that keeps watch over the Jane Doe in the hospital…"

Regina only answered by narrowing her dark eyes a bit, unflinching when the prisoner jumped at the bars towards her. She had enough experience of that with Rumpelstiltskin in his cell before the curse had been inacted.

"Her life...is in my hands. Anything that happens to me, you lose your way of keeping an eye on that Jane Doe. Next in line for Head Doctor is that Dr. Whale guy, and he's made his point clear of not letting you near her."

Raising an eyebrow, Regina's lip twitched, and then she smiled, as if trying to outshine the prisoner's own brilliant whites.

"Whale has no authority over me. Keep trying dear." She goaded.

The woman's smirk widened more if it was possible, to show that Regina had just made a mistake. She answered calmly,

"Alright...I am capable of much. I can easily break out of here on my own, come after you, and do...THIS!"

Her last word sounded more like a lion's roar than a normal yell, and her hand shot out and gripped around Regina's throat. Her grip was tight around Regina's windpipe, blocking the air passages, until it looked as though Regina was ready to faint. She choked and sputtered, her face becoming an alarming shade of pink as her hands went to the single hand clutched around her throat, using what strength she had to pry the hand away. At that point, the woman let go and stepped back, allowing Regina to breathe.

Regina staggered a few steps back from the cells immediately, putting her hand to her throat to rub at the raw flesh. Her eyes were wide, unmoving from the woman as she looked upon her with unbelief. Just what the hell was going on in Storybrooke? Five years, five years of absolute perfection! Everyone had always done as she willed, and though yes, it was boring, she made her own happiness from it. But now...ever since yesterday...things seemed to be coming unglued faster than she could nail it back together.

"You're insane!" Regina coughed out, still rubbing her throat, her eyes changing from unbelief to a steely glare. She took a moment to stand up tall once more, holding her chin up high to prove that she was still in control here, but the firmness of her iron face from when she first entered the Sheriff's department that day was all but gone. "But you still haven't given me what I want." She adjusted her suit jacket, and double checked to make sure that both keys were still there. "I'll inform Sheriff Leland to bump your appointment up with the DA, and with my influence it _will_ happen, and you will never see Storybrooke again."

"It's so cute that you are still trying to show dominance over me, especially when it's very clear that you are afraid of me." The woman laughed. "I can easily disappear, and you'll never be able to find me, until it is too late for the poor unfortunate soul who crosses me."

Regina scowled, and her face darkened as if a few lights had gone out in the building, a mask she wore when attempting to hide her fear.

"I doubt it." She spat, her eyes only growing darker in anger. In a huff, Regina flipped back her suit open suit jacket flaps, putting her hands on her hips over her dark blue silk shirt and turned on her heel, walking out of the building without another word.

As Regina left, the woman called out to her in a sinister sing song voice,

"Run, run, run, as fast as you can, but you won't be able to escape once your shit hits the fan!" After Regina was gone, she went back to her seat and resumed humming.

Regina had a new agenda now, she needed to know more about Dr. Faye Stevenson, find out her connection to this mad woman throwing taunts at her back. And she knew just the man to go and see.

XXX

The small bell connected to the entry door rang out, alerting Mr. Gold that someone had entered his shop; however his own eyes had spotted Regina briskly walking to the door outside his shop through the dusty, single pane windows before she had even entered. She walked to Mr. Gold with purpose, not bothering to stop and look around the precariously placed items that filled the room to the ceiling; only stopping when she reached the counter.

"Your Majesty." Mr. Gold greeted her politely, his eyes darting down to the red marks on the woman's neck. "Trying something a bit new are we? Erotic asphyxiation, although dangerous, does have it's-"

"Can it imp!" Regina hissed, the vein on her forehead pulsing angrily. Her dark eyes glanced over to the left to an old coat rack, covered completely by assorted hats, coats, gloves and scarves and Regina shot her hand out to grab at one of the scarves, a deep purple and blue silk style with tiny circular embroidery around it that, however ironic, went with the silk shirt she wore under her suit jacket.

Taking a bit of care as to not harm herself, she wrapped the silk scarf around her neck, ignoring the amused smirks coming from Mr. Gold.

"You'll have to pay for that dearie..."

"Dr. Faye Stevenson. What do you know about her?" Regina asked, cutting right to the chase. Mr. Gold licked his lips and looked up, pondering thoughtfully before answering.

"Well, she's not unattractive. Got her degree from a curse. Lives just around the corner from-"

"Gold..." Regina cut in with a warning tone, earning her a throaty laugh from the man as he placed his palms on the counter, leaning in to Regina a bit. "I'm so glad this amuses you, but I've got a woman in jail threatening to kill me and she's somehow linked to Stevenson."

"Not so different from The Enchanted Forest hm?" Gold asked with raised eyebrows. "People trying to kill you...it's not as easy to deal with here is it? It's not like you can just…turn someone into a snail and step on them…"

Regina held her death glare, and Mr. Gold chuckled once more.

"You might want to go and talk with our friend Dr. Hopper. I've happened upon Dr. Stevenson walking in and out of his office on a number of occasions. If she's not at the hospital, or with our new town guest, she'll most certainly be there." He paused, looking thoughtful and licked his lips again. "Although I doubt she'd be going much anywhere today. She and I had a bit of a...disagreement last night."

Regina's hard gaze let up a bit at the information and moved to cross her arms over her chest tightly.

"You mean Henry?" She asked quizzically and raising an eyebrow. "Why would she be with Henry?"

Mr. Gold, yet again chuckled and Regina pressed her lips into a thin line. She hated it when he knew more than she did, and she had been doing a lot of 'catching-up' lately.

"They've got quite the number of things to talk about. New stranger in town, finds nothing better to do with his time than to go to the hospital and read to our dear Jane Doe. And that's when he realizes he knows her, causing him to want to stick around."

"Knows who?" Regina barked.

"Both of them of course." Mr. Gold chuckled, his amusement could not be any more evident.

"How? How is that even possib-" Regina's eyes first went wide, and then narrowed. She knew exactly how it was possible. It was because Henry...he was from The Enchanted Forest! He was not a part of the curse and therefore had his memories; a fact that Regina believed to be impossible until yesterday when Mr. Gold admitted to having his own memories. Obviously, there were ways around this, and Gold knew the whole time.

Mr. Gold's thin lips curled into the smile, reading the initial shock on Regina's face as she put the pieces together.

"You...you brought him here!" Regina hissed at him coldly, if at all possible her eyes narrowing even more. "This doesn't make any sense! You and I...we've been in this...together...from the start!"

"Oho! Have we?"

"You _created_ the curse for me! The curse that brought us here and built all this."

"Yes, it's about time you said thank you."

"Why did you do it?"

Mr. Gold leaned further over the counter, pressing his face so close to Regina's that she could feel his hot breath on her cheek.

"Well you're a _smart_ woman your Majesty." Mr. Gold taunted. "Figure it out." He added on with a sneer so cold, that Regina couldn't help but remember his threat to kill her for killing Belle as her goosebumps returned on her arms and the back of her neck.

An icy shiver rolled down her spine, causing Regina to stand up straight and back away a few steps from the imp. He may have not been The Dark One here, but she knew him well enough to know his threats were more than just words.

"Where's Henry now?" Regina asked, keeping her voice calm and level despite her hands beginning to shake and grow cold with lack of circulation.

"Try the school. I might have offered him the position at the elementary you came in here complaining about filling the other day."

It took whatever was left of Regina's willpower to not explode on Mr. Gold right then. She didn't know how much good it would do anyway, it was clear that Gold was in control of what was happening here, and Regina was powerless to stop it.

Unless-

Regina turned and walked out the door without another word to Mr. Gold, doing her best to walk out with her head held high and shaking the unnerving feeling of his eyes following her out.

It was time to go see Dr. Hopper and get the records of Dr. Faye Stevenson.

**Author's Note:**

**Any guesses as to who this 'Mark Dufresne' might be? ^.^ Of course I have plans, and he holds significance to the story but I'll tell you right now he's not canon, actually a spur of genius from my friend Ghost Shadow. I hope you enjoyed the slight change from fluff to suspenseful drama, keep those reviews coming in, I absolutely LOVE hearing what you guys think of all this.**


	8. Chapter 8: English Class

**Author's Note:**

**Just a few more loose ends needing to be cleaned up in this chapter, but with as many loose ends being tied up; that many more are unraveling. Note, this chapter does get a little...heated...but nothing to worry over too much. This fic IS rated M after all...**

Henry sat at, what was now, his desk (at least temporarily), the only sound beside his fingers rapping against the hardwood surface being the wall-clock _ticking_ as all clocks do. He had arrived to the school about half an hour early to gather his materials and ensure this first day went as smoothly as possible - and the students were due to arrive at any time.

Henry stood up and turned behind him to look at the large chalkboard that was placed against the back wall. On it was written in large letters: "English Class: Mr. Carlyle." Henry could only subtly nod in approval at the wording, pushing his glasses up against his face as the last few minutes seemed to take their sweet time.

Suddenly, the sound of the school bell rang out across the halls, signaling it was time for class to start. Henry took a quick final sip of the can of Coke he brought with before a group of youngsters seemed to flood through the doorway into the classroom.

All small talk and joking amongst the students seemed to quickly subside as they took a second to glance at Henry, immediately recognizing him as being new. They were almost completely silent as they hung up their coats and lunchboxes before sitting down at their desks, staring intently at their teacher; who currently seemed to be studying them as well.

Henry let a few moments pass before finally speaking,

"Good morning class, and welcome to English!" He began, pacing about in front of the chalkboard in an almost casual manner; attempting to defuse any wariness from the get-go. "I am Mr. Carlyle, your new English teacher; and I hope that, by the end of the period, we're all good pals, eh?"

Without giving them a chance to respond, he continued with just as much vigor. "Now then, let's take roll, shall we?" He reached for a simple clipboard that lay aimlessly on his desk, holding it up with a single hand whilst adjusting his glasses. "Alrighty then, Michael?" He called, answered by a simple "Present!" By the child.

"Grayson?"

"Here!"

"Marie?"

"That's me!"

"Brittany?"

"Present!"

Henry continued to call out names on the list before coming to the last one,

"Mason?" At this a small boy with a mop of curly dark brown hair raised his hand up high. "Here, Teacher!" The boy piped with a quiet, sullen voice.

Henry looked out under his glasses for a moment, placing the boy before checking his name off the board.

"Alright, class, that should be everyone! Fortunately we didn't lose anyone - good thing too, because they'd have missed out on all the fun." He added with a friendly smirk, almost haphazardly dropping the clipboard onto the desk, where it landed with a louder-than-appropriate _thud_

"So...English! What about it? We speak it, we read it, we write it; it's _normal_ to us - and that's all well and good, but there's more *beyond* that. So, this week, we're going to cover a bunch of different parts of speech. Today, we're going to work on adjectives!" At this, Henry clapped his hands, rubbing them together furiously.

"Now, can someone tell me *what* an adjective is?" Henry asked, watching as small hands shot up into the air. Henry looked about the class for a split-second before landing on Grayson. "Mr. Grayson! What is an adjective?" He repeated, waiting for the young boy to answer.

"A word that adds on to a...noun?" The boy responded, phrasing his answer like a question.

"Correctamundo, a word I've never used before and hopefully never will again." Henry replied approvingly before seeming to launch himself towards the chalkboard; writing "Adjective - word that describes a noun."

"Now then, who can give me an example of an adjective? I'll pick...three students." He settled on, eyes alight with curiosity. "Yes, Marie?"

"Bright!" The young girl replied, earning herself an approving grin and a written version of her example on the chalkboard.

"And, Michael?"

"Slimy." The boy replied with an almost devilish smirk. "Slimy, good." Henry replied, writing that on the chalkboard as well.

"And last, but not certainly least, Mason!" He declared, pointing to the boy.

"Um...uh...noisy!" He finally said after pondering for a few moments.

"Noisy - yes." Henry responded, writing the third example on the chalkboard. "Now, what can we all gather from these three examples?" Without skipping a beat, he continued, "They _describe _a noun, which is a person, place, or thing! So essentially, everything in this room is a noun!"

The rest of the class continued on very much like this, with the time seeming to fly by until the blaring of the school bell signaled that class-time was over. "Well, looks like we're done for today. Remember, I want individual reports about yourselves using as many adjectives as you can by Wednesday." After that reminder, he proceeded to give individual goodbyes to the students as they left, finally taking a moment to sit down and relax for a few minutes. It was turning out to be a good morning.

XXX

It didn't take long for Regina to...convince Dr. Hopper that she was entitled to taking Dr. Stevenson's client file from his office. She couldn't stop to read it now though, she was still a bit shaken by the day's events but she had enough of a head on her shoulders to find Henry at the school without looking like she was about to pass out.

She walked into the room just as the bell rang, using her hand to gently push the children that filed past her away lest she stomp them down in her rage. One boy in particular, possibly the smallest in the class bumped into her harshly, causing him to stumble back a few paces as he looked up at her with wide, terrified eyes.

"I'm...I'm so sorry Madam Mayor!" The boy squeaked. Regina just pushed forward, ignoring the boy's apology and pressed on to Henry towards the front of the room.

Henry, in the meantime, had begun to erase the writing from the chalkboard; whistling a small tune to himself as he did so being very pleased with how well he was able to connect to the eight and nine-year-olds, obviously not paying attention to his surroundings - or so it seemed.

"What an unexpected pleasure, Madam Mayor! What might I do for you?" He greeted suddenly, putting down the eraser as he turned to look at her.

"I-" Regina stopped. She had been so focused on getting here, to confront Henry, that she hadn't even paused to think about what she wanted to say. "I had heard you volunteered to fill in here..." She decided on, at least trying to sound civil in the same way she had spoken with him just last night. "...without consulting me." She added on. It wasn't anger or annoyance in her voice, more like a mother scolding her child for forgetting to pick up his shoes.

"Yes, and I do hope you'll pardon me for that. But, I was made aware of the lack of help you had here and took it upon myself to...lend a hand. The rest of the faculty was...quite welcoming, actually." He added, placing odd spaces in his words, yet still maintaining a cheery smile and easy posture.

"Of course they were." Regina replied bitterly under her breath, shifting her focus to a notepad that had been left on one of the desks by one of the students. She picked it up, wiped away the eraser marks left on the page and then brought it up to Henry.

Henry pushed his glasses up on his face as Regina handed him the notepad.

"Ah, someone misplaced this. Thank you." He answered with a warm smile, grabbing the pad and placing it on his desk. "Again, I do apologize for not informing you first. But I will gladly allow any background checks you wish to run." He offered friendlily.

"That won't be necessary." Regina said, giving him a polite smile. She walked around Henry to sit on the edge of his desk, far enough to hold her weight but not so much that her feet dangled above the ground. The position pulled Regina's black slacks tight, showing off the curvatures of her thighs all the way down to her calves before they 'ballooned' out at her ankles.

"I'll just need to ask you a few questions. Consider it an interview." Regina neatly folded her hands into her lap, masking the cold indifference she felt for the newcomer with practiced perfection.

Henry raised his eyebrows in interest at the mention of an interview. He grabbed a chair from a nearby desk and sat down neatly in it, making sure to catch a glancing look at the mayor's curves before focusing on her face.

"Have you a teaching degree?"

"I have a Bachelor's degree in English, but no teaching degree." He responded simply, tapping his left foot rhythmically.

Regina's full lips pressed into a thin line, looking almost disappointed in his answer.

"Well now, that _is_ a problem..." Regina hummed, moving a hand from her lap to tap at her lower lip in thought. "You understand of course, that I can't allow you to teach here without a degree..."

Henry slowly reached up and took off his glasses.

"Problems can be solved, as I so often like to think. So...why don't we solve it, then? You could always come in and watch me teach one day, if you'd like. Then, if you're impressed - you could _skip_ over that little detail." He offered with a grin.

Regina tilted her head to the side just a bit, looking at him thoughtfully for a moment.

"Awful lot of work to do for someone who's just...passing through." Regina commented, a smile playing at her lips.

"Oh?" Henry noised, eyes catching her small smile. "Then what would you have in mind?" He asked in an almost coy manner.

"Storybrooke..." Regina began, sitting up just a bit from her relaxed position on the edge of the desk. "...is a very small place, as you well know by now. But...the city doesn't come without its dangers. Hardly anything compared to New York I'm sure, but still dangerous."

Regina felt her hand instinctively move to her neck where the red hot burn around her throat still lingered, but she let her hand immediately fall back into her lap. A plan began formulating in her mind, and figured that if she was going to get rid of Henry for good, some drastic measures had to be taken.

"In fact, I had the pleasure of meeting with one of our prisoners this morning. I had every intention of releasing her-" Regina patted the pocket of her suit jacket where the keys were located hearing them clink together a few times. "-however she attacked me, and thus her fate is set." She paused to clear her throat.

"My point, Mr. Carlyle, is that you truly don't know someone until you give them a chance. You are new here, and I do not know you, nor what sort of influence you will have on the children here at the school if I allow you to continue teaching and yes, even the dangers you might poses to my city. However...I'm all about giving chances." Regina stood up off the desk completely and walked a few paces towards Henry. "So...Mr. Carlyle, all I ask is that you give me a reason; _one reason_ that I should allow you to teach here."

Henry could barely contain a smirk when she spoke of him being a 'danger to the city'. _'_

_"Why, yes, your majesty. I'm the biggest threat to your city you'll ever see." _He thought to himself, not letting his expression change from its general mirth.

"One reason, eh? Well, I'd hate to use this card so early but, with all due respect, who else do you have? Everyone else in the town is either employed or lacks the necessary skills. I don't have a teaching degree in itself; but I am teaching a subject I studied on a college-grade level for four years." He finally answered with a small shrug of his shoulders. He wasn't sure if the answer would convince Regina or not...but if worst came to worst, he just doesn't get the job - that's not his problem.

Regina, who would have normally glared at the way that Henry spoke to her, instead smiled and placed her hands on either side of the desk Henry was sitting behind, bending over the desk so that her face was almost too close to Henry's.

"I like you Henry. I wasn't so sure yesterday when you first came into town, but I can now see that you'll do well here in Storybrooke, provided of course...you'll stay..." She purred, her dark browns flickering for just a split second to the stranger's lips.

Henry caught her glance, returning with a sultry smile. Inwardly, he wasn't sure whether or not this was a trick (which, it most likely was), but he didn't care; instead letting himself fall into the enticement.

"I'd love to." He replied, voice as smooth as silk. Nothing else had to be said.

The implications were there, they _had_ been there ever since Regina caught Henry looking her over just last night when she met him for the first time. It was a look she wasn't unfamiliar with, a look he seemed to carry around with him wherever he went; desire. It could have been for Regina solely; she knew she wasn't hard to look at, or it could have been for someone else he had met along the way but it was there now, and their conversation had a completely different implication unknown to anyone that was unable to see the way they looked at one another.

Regina took a single breath as she bent her head forward and crashed her lips against Henry's. Henry found himself lost in passion. Any sense of logic or judgment tossed aside the moment their lips touched. A sense of dread seemed to pang in him when they first started, as though his body was signaling a final warning to think his decision through. But it was soon ignored.

Henry abruptly, but not ungently, stood up, using a single hand to push the small desk separating them to the side; allowing them both to narrow the distance between them. Henry, in an almost ferocious manner, began to push Regina back, not letting their lips part in the process until she was pushed onto his larger desk getting no complaint from the Mayor; random items falling off in his haste.

He let his hands fall to her, admittedly curvy hips, letting them linger for more than a moment as he let one rational thought enter his head: get the key. Regina's hands went to his chest, bracing herself against him as she continued to kiss him, refusing to let herself part to breathe. Parting his lips only to catch a small breath of air, Henry let two deft fingers go into her coat pocket, quickly swiping the key before pulling his hand out; letting it rest on her hip once more. If Regina noticed, she didn't show it. She was immensely engrossed into Henry at that point, her hands running up and down his chest and over his shoulders, unable to decide where she wanted to keep them.

Henry let himself pull back to catch more than a gasp of breath, though his eyes were alight with a passionate fire, a hunger for more.

"No...no, not here." He said breathlessly. "But tonight..." he added on, stopping in mid-sentence to let Regina put two and two together.

Regina looked up at him with a breathy smile, sweat beading at her forehead and her chest heaving as she as well tried to catch her breath. She patted him where her hands had stopped their roaming on his shoulders as if to say 'alright' unable to do it herself.

"Dinner." She reminded him simply, moving to sit up, her body seeming to be out of sorts as she did but she still somehow managed to keep an air of authority in the way she got off of the desk. Once standing tall again, Regina fixed up her suit jacket and gave Henry a curt nod, running a hand through her black hair to ensure that it was still in place and walked towards the exit, making a point to sway her hips a bit more than necessary.

Henry straightened up his outfit as Regina did, leaving his hair be as it was *always* in some sort of chaotic mess.

"6:30, I won't forget." He reassured with that same friendly smile, though that seductiveness still remained in it. He paid close attention to her as she walked out, raising his eyebrows before nodding in approval.

As soon as Regina was out of sight, out of the classroom and into the hallway, Regina her fingers into her coat pocket feeling only one key, the missing one being the one that opened up the cell. Without even so much as flinching, or looking at the remaining key just to be sure...she smiled and hurried on her way, finally in the right mood to read over Dr. Stevenson's files.

After the slight shenanigans at the school, Henry quickly cleaned himself up as best he could before leaving the school to head for the sheriff's office. He had a promise to fulfill after all.

The walk there wasn't terribly bad, and Henry didn't want to risk his car being parked there in case of suspicion especially since the police cruiser was nowhere to be found, indicating that Mark wasn't there. He looked through the windows before walking through the front door, eyes almost immediately landing on the Mysterious Woman in the cell.

"Hello, Sweetie." He greeted with a sly smile, approaching the cell with a slight swagger to his step, pulling the key from his coat pocket.

The woman stopped humming when she felt a pair of eyes on her, and she smirked when the door opened and she was greeted with Henry's voice. She stood and turned to face him, and started,

"Hello, Fox-"

She stopped when she caught whiff of his scent. Her smirk fell, and her shoulders slumped. She commented dryly and her joviality gone,

"_Her_ perfume...and that smell of desire. You made out with _her_..."

Henry's smile fell just as quickly as it came. He knew there was no point in lying to the Woman, and prayed she would be understanding.

"Yes...I did. It was the only way I could get the key while being inconspicuous." He explained in a bargaining tone, hiding the fact that he thoroughly enjoyed the kiss - and hoped for more later. He didn't even want to take pause to the knowledge that it was The Evil Queen of The Enchanted Forest that he suddenly found himself lusting after…no, if he thought on that he would never forgive himself.

The woman paid careful attention to the scent that permeated off of him, ready to detect any lies that he may utter. What he said was the truth, supported by the key's presence, but she knew that he enjoyed being with the woman. She didn't make any move to attack Henry like she had with Regina, and she said tartly,

"I see." She then commented with a light hearted tone to hide a hidden pain that she would never show to anyone, "Well, you certainly _are_ a lady killer, hm? Just be careful in playing with the Mayor. I'd rather _not_ see you as her puppet like countless others around here."

"I understand." He responded seriously, but offered a small, almost sad smile as he approached the cell; inserting the key into the door with an audible _clack_ as the door subsequently swung open with a _creak_.

"You're free now." He stated matter-of-factly before continuing. "Try not to get yourself arrested again, be it for my sake or not. I don't think I can pull that stunt again." He warned, but his tone was warm, and his eyes shone with a certain brightness.

The woman walked through the open door after Henry opened it. "

Very well. And I shall make my disappearance. It may be a while before you ever see me again." She stopped walking after she passed Henry and she turned to face him. "If you have any problems, Dr. Stevenson is a pret-ty good...listener,"

"I'll keep that in mind." He responded with a simple nod, his hands going to his coat pockets as she made her disappearance. He followed out the door shortly after, not wanting to be caught in the sheriff's office by anyone less-than-savory.

He stood on the side of the road for what seemed like forever, figuring out just what to do until he remembered - he had to volunteer.

The woman walked out as well, taking great care to make sure that not a single soul saw her flee the prison, and make it back to Dr. Stevenson's home, through the back door. There, the woman changed to comfortable pajamas before she switched back to Dr. Stevenson.

The doctor woke up in the chair, finding a glass of scotch next to her. As soon as she thought she slept in because of the alcohol, she panicked and quickly got dressed and hurried for the hospital for work, ignoring the throbbing bruise and cut on her face that she received from Mr. Gold's cane the night prior when she had only tried to help him.

She rushed into the hospital, and checked in. Dr. Whale spotted her and he asked in concern,

"Dr. Stevenson! There you are! What happened?" Dr. Stevenson shook her head and said,

"Nothing, nothing. Dr. Whale, what's the report on the patients?"

The day continued on like normal as far as Faye knew.

XXX

Henry sat alone in Snow's room, the steady _beeping_ of the heart monitor being the only sound besides the careful rustling of pages and the sound of his own voice as he read, looking up from the book constantly to see any sign of life.

"Once upon a time there lived a lovely princess with skin as white as snow and appropriately named Snow White. Her mother died when Snow was just a young woman and her father eventually married again. This new Queen was stunning beyond all measure, but she was also very cruel. The wicked stepmother was very angry and jealous of Snow White and so she ordered the Huntsman to take Snow White to the forest and kill her. "I want you to bring back her heart," she ordered. But when The Huntsman reached the forest with Snow White, he took pity on her and set her free. He killed a stag and took its heart to the Evil Queen and told her that he had killed Snow White..."

XXX

After taking care of other patients that needed urgent attention, Dr. Stevenson went to go and check on the Jane Doe. She stepped in to see Henry was there reading to her. She wasn't sure why, but she felt...somewhat relieved to see him. She remained silent as she watched him, with a small kind smile appearing on her face.

Henry didn't seem to notice Dr. Stevenson as he continued to read. But every so often, he would let one of his hands brush across the Jane Doe's; as if he was trying to goad her awake, or enjoy her touch.

"If only you could see me now." He said in a voice that was just barely above a whisper. "Not a silly old cat now, am I?' He asked, though he knew no one would answer him.

Dr. Stevenson raised an eyebrow, just barely hearing what Henry had just said to Jane Doe. She had caught the words 'cat' and 'am I' from his quiet voice. She cleared her throat and she spoke up,

"I hate to interrupt, Mr. Carlyle. I just wanted to check in on Miss Doe,"

Henry jumped, startled, obviously not expecting anyone else to come in. "Oh, yes, of course. Excuse me, Dr. Stevenson." He said politely, moving away from the bed to allow her access.

Dr. Stevenson nodded and she answered politely, "Thank you," before she moved to get diagnostics on Miss Doe's condition. So far, it seemed as though Miss Doe was the same as ever, much to her disappointment.

Henry got a good look at the cut that dotted her forehead, narrowing his eyes.

"Might I inquire how you got that cut there, Doctor? Looks nasty - no offense." He stated in a peculiar manner.

"An uncooperative patient. Don't worry, it's part of the occupational hazards," She gingerly touched her wound, wincing as she realized just how sensitive it had become.

Henry couldn't help but give a slight wince, as though a blow had fallen on him.

"Being a doctor's more dangerous than I thought, then. Hope elementary students aren't as bloodthirsty." He japed with a friendly smile, leaning against the wall; eyes kept on the doctor as she examined Snow.

Dr. Stevenson chuckled in a grim tone, "It's not as dangerous as you're thinking. It's natural for people to lash out, especially when it seems that their situation seems...hopeless,"

"I've been talking to your roommate." Henry cut in suddenly, unable to suppress his growing theories about the mysterious woman.

Dr. Stevenson paled at the mention of her roommate, knowing who he was talking about, and she groaned,

"Oh dear...whatever she did, I greatly apologize for her actions. If there's anything I can do to make up for whatever she did, let me know,"

Henry's expression turned from one of base amusement to confusion.

"Apologize? I quite enjoyed talking to her. She's very...feisty." He settled on, smiling once more. "Ran into her at the Rabbit Hole, then it seems we kept bumping into each other." He commented with a slight roll of his shoulders.

"Oh...really? I-I see," She asked, attempting to mask her surprise. "I apologize for my outburst then. Normally if someone brings her up as a conversation topic, it's to complain about what she did. I'm glad to hear she hasn't caused you any trouble..." She then grumbled under her breath, "Yet, anyways..."

"Oh she's not caused me any trouble. Quite the contrary, honestly. I think she wants to go on a date with me, though." He added, scratching the back of his head. Normally he'd be more composed around Dr. Stevenson. But his brief interactions with her at Rumpelstiltskin's castle loosened him up a bit - even if she didn't remember him or anything about the Enchanted Forest.

Dr. Stevenson widened her eyes slightly, and her cheeks turned pink at the mention of what her 'roommate' may want with him.

"O-Oh," She had no idea what she wanted to say, but she felt awkward now. She cleared her throat and she asked stuttering a bit, "Forgive me for being brash, but do-do you want to date my roommate...?"

Henry raised his eyebrows at the question, a coy smile teasing at the corner of his lips as he thought about the inquiry for a few moments. "

Sure, why not? She's quite easy on the eyes and has a remarkable...for want of a better word, aura around her." He answered with a small chuckle. "I'm sorry, did that make you uncomfortable?" He asked, hands in his coat pockets once again.

Dr. Stevenson shook her head and answered "No. No, of course not! I'm just concerned because most relationships that my roommate starts up...almost never ends well. I just really would hate to see you get hurt because of my roommate. Also she doesn't exactly have the best reputation in town..."

"Well, I like people who have flaws - makes them more real." He replied nonchalantly, studying Dr. Stevenson with an almost intense gaze while he was speaking. "You know, you remind me of someone I knew awhile back." He began, running a single hand through his hair. "I don't know if I'll see her again, but she was very beautiful like you - and remarkably intelligent. Funny how people can remind you of old friends." He said in an almost reminiscent tone.

Faye snapped out of her brief reverie and nodded in agreement simply.

"Thank you for the compliment, and yes it is quite strange," She looked at him carefully, and she couldn't help but get the feeling that he seemed almost familiar too.

"Ah well..." He finished, looking at Snow White on the bed. "Any change?" He asked, his voice turning dour and serious instead of warm and giddy.

Dr. Stevenson shook her head and answered seriously,

"Sadly no...Thankfully, she's still stable," She then asked, "Mr. Carlyle. Are you sure you don't know her? I believe you mentioned something about a cat a little earlier."

Henry nodded solemnly as she spoke, giving a passing glance to Snow before looking back at the doctor.

"No, I don't know her. She, like you, just reminds me of someone before. As for the cat - little poem I learned as a child. Recite it from time to time, force of habit." He lied, but his tone didn't give away any false deception, even his eyes stared plainly into the doctor's.

Dr. Stevenson sighed as she answered,

"I see..." She couldn't help but get the strange feeling that he was lying to her, but she didn't bring it up. Instead she ignored the feeling as a figment of her imagination. Before she could ask Henry anything, her pager beeped loudly and she said "Oh, I have to go. Maybe we can talk later, Mr. Carlyle?"

"I'd quite like that. Go on then, off you pop. No need for someone to die of cardiac arrest because I was keeping you." He joked with a warm grin, waving her off.

Dr. Stevenson smiled and laughed a bit at the joke, and she waved bye to him.

"I'll see you later, Mr. Carlyle."

Henry left the hospital not long after Dr. Stevenson and he had spoken, returning to his room to prepare himself for the dinner date tonight: showering, fresh shave, a more formal herringbone coat, along with picking up a couple things from the convenience store. Time seemed to rush by until it was nearly 6:30.

He parked outside the mayor's house with less than 5 minutes to spare, doing a quick hair-check before stepping up onto the front porch.

_"You can do this, Chesh, it's just dinner with the Evil Queen...and maybe some other stuff. Bloody hell."_ He thought to himself before knocking sharply on the door, hands falling to his pockets as he awaited his host.

There was a pause that seemed to go on for ages, but Regina finally answered the door with a warm, bright smile.

"Henry." She welcomed. "Good, I've just taken the lasagna out of the oven." Her dress apparel hadn't changed too much from when they had spoken with one another at the school, except now she had lost the suit jacket, showing off the brilliant dark blue silk shirt she wore underneath that buttoned up in the front, the top three buttons of course undone. She had done away with the scarf as well, having been at home able to cover up the bruising on her neck with makeup. She opened the door wider for Henry to walk in past her, and then shut the door behind him.

"Why, thank you." He responded in a gentlemanly manner as she opened the door, stepping through the threshold and taking in the sight. The house was nothing short of marvelous, the walls colored a crisp white and the floors a shiny hardwood. Little in the way of paintings were in the house, but somehow - it worked. The furniture was of exquisite craftsmanship, exuding an air of both regality and modernity.

"I must say, Madam Mayor...your house is nothing short of spectacular!" Henry exclaimed, thoroughly and sincerely impressed, taking off his glasses to get a better look at the furnishings.

"Why thank you!"

Regina led Henry from the main hall to the dining hall where most of the food she had prepared throughout the day was laid out; the only thing missing was the main dish of lasagna that she had promised. She issued a chair for him to sit in, then said,

"I'll just pop into the kitchen and get the lasagna." She informed him quickly, and walked through the open threshold that took her there. Once out of sight, Regina pulled her phone from her tight slacks and opened up her recent text messages. Regina wasn't much of a texter, but she only had one word to send out. Scrolling through them, she found Robert Leland's name and opened up the thread, typing 'GO' and sent it out quickly. He would know what she meant.

Using oven mitts, Regina grabbed the lasagna and brought it back to the dining hall and placed it in the center of the table, allowing herself to sit across from Henry and crossed her legs.

"So you think you'll stay then, in Storybrooke?" She asked, picking up her glass of wine that she had already filled before Henry had arrived. "At least...for a while...?"

"Sure, I don't see why not." He responded with his (practically) signature grin. "That is, unless you have a problem with it?" He asked simply, no hostility whatsoever in his tone - just genuine curiosity.

"Nothing keeping you from wanting to go back?" Regina inquired, blatantly ignoring his second statement. "No family, friends?" She quirked an eyebrow and lowered her voice in pitch. "A lover?"

"Nope, 'fraid not. My family's been gone for a while...I lost my sister in a...house fire. I'm the only one left-" Regina quickly shot him an apologetic look. "-no lovers or girlfriends to speak of…" his eyes met hers. "…yet." He finished, a slight twinkle in his eyes.

"Well, that's a shame." Regina stood at the table and began to fill Henry's plate with the food she had provided, handing the plate to him with a generous amount of food and then helped herself with a portion less than half of what she gave him. "But no..." Regina said sitting down again. "...I don't have a problem with you staying, so long as you behave."

If someone would have told Regina three hours ago that she would be condoning the stranger that would surely be the one to break the curse into _staying_ in Storybrooke, she would have never believed them. However, now, the way she saw it, getting Henry to be closer to her rather than Mr. Gold could only prove to be beneficial towards her. _SHE_ would not be the one to drive Henry out, something or someone else would.

Henry nodded in thanks as she handed the plate to him, grinning from ear to ear (when did he stop?) while she spoke.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll expect no trouble from me. It'll be as though I've been here my whole life." He promised sincerely, taking a small bite of the lasagna. "This is absolutely delicious!" He commended with an approving nod. "I've never tasted anything quite like it." He added.

"Well, I'm not the greatest cook, but I do manage. Lasagna seems to be what I'm best at, if of course you don't count my apple pie." Regina replied modestly.

"Apple pie. I remember that being a treat when I was younger. My family wasn't the...wealthiest, so it was the little things that counted most." He said in a solemn voice, but seemed to perk up again as if nothing had happened.

"There's an apple tree just in my backyard, I've been tending to it ever since I was a little girl, so apples aren't exactly scarce around here." She breathed out a sort of small laugh, and returned to drinking her wine.

XXX

After the excitement of yesterday, Robert was relieved to have another quiet patrol. He stopped by the local courthouse to pick up a warrant for Henry's hotel room, the local judiciary had a very friendly relationship with Regina and the Sheriff's office. He had been killing time driving up and down the main street until the evening, when he got Regina's message, and knew what he had to do.

Robert pulled up his car in Granny's parking lot, and gathered up his tools. He had picked up the investigation kit at the start of his shift, just so that he'd be ready if he had to search the room before he had time to make it back to the station. After opening the kit, Robert picked out the items he would need the most, primarily the gloves, the camera, and the fingerprint kit.

He gave the door two hard knocks, and said,

"This is the Storybrooke Police Department, we have a warrant to search your room. If you do not respond or open the door immediately, we will open it for you." Robert gave the warning even though he knew Henry was out, it was important to follow procedure, and there was always the possibility that there was someone else inside the room. He gave it about ten seconds before he unlocked the door himself, if there was someone there, they could be attempting to destroy evidence.

The inside of the room was unremarkable, the only things that stood out were an empty suitcase next to the bed, and a thick hardback book on the nightstand. He took the time to photograph everything as it was before moving it at all, even small details might be important. After a cursory search, it became obvious that there was no smoking gun hidden with the room, nothing to implicate Henry in another crime. The clothes were all neatly hung up in the closet, and the bathroom held only toiletries. The drawer of the nightstand had a few personal items like a cell phone charger, but nothing else.

The only item that Robert bothered examine closer was the book on the table, a thick leather-bound volume that was definitely not new. The cover said "Once upon a time", indicating that it was a book of fables and fairy tales. Robert flipped through it a bit, opening it on the page that had been bookmarked with a small card with Mr. Gold's business information printed onto it. It told the story of the Cheshire Cat, and he read a few words before deciding that it was best to hurry up as he felt a pressing headache starting to stem suddenly. He photographed that page, and turned to another page that was particularly dog-earred. This one told about a man named Rumpelstiltskin, who was the sort of person who tricked people into crooked bargains.

"_Today, they call people who exploit optimism to ruin lives army recruiters. Or possibly pawnbrokers." _Robert thought to himself with as much amusement as he could muster. He let out a groan as the headache seemed to double suddenly and closed the book up, returning it to its previous state before hurrying along.

After taking a few more photos, lifting some prints off of one of the plastic cups, and making sure everything was the way it was before, Robert walked back to his car. He sat in the parking lot writing the report for the search, while he reminisced about the past. Between the time his girlfriend left him and arriving in Storybrooke, not much had gone well for him. Storybrooke didn't solve all of his problems, some issues, like his PTSD and his loneliness had stayed, but at least he had a home and a job now.

Although he liked to protect the town and all of its citizens, there were only two people here he had ever felt particularly close to. One was Regina, who he owed a great debt to for helping rebuild his life, and the other was Steve Morris, the former sheriff. Robert had never met a man with more integrity than Steve, and he was honored to take his position when Steve moved out. Shortly after that, Robert received news that Steve had died, gunned down trying to stop a man running from the cops. Oddly enough, that had been the only sad news that Robert remembered hearing his whole time in Storybrooke. Stranger even, that he never even left town to go to the funeral without any recollection as to 'why.'

Just as Robert finished the report, he heard Graham calling for assistance over the radio. While Graham was out, the mysterious lady had gotten free, and the station didn't even have a camera to see how. Graham tried to defuse the situation by mentioning that the envelope was still safe in the evidence locker, but Robert was still in a very bad mood. He sent a digital copy of the report and photos to Regina before heading to the station, where he'd investigate and give Graham a stern reprimand.

**Author's Note:**

**Hmmm...headaches when reading into a storybook of fairy tales? Hmmm...HMMMMM! :D**

**Just a fair warning here, the next chapter is going to go into a great deal of smut...you have been warned.**


	9. Chapter 9: Behind Closed Doors

**Author's Note:**

**I warned you in the last chapter about this chapter, but I feel that I should warn you again…just in case. This chapter has a great deal of detailed smut, so read at your own digression. This fic IS rated M for a reason, and this is one out of the many reasons.**

**Also, I feel like I need to answer a few questions I've been getting regarding this AU. Firstly, some of you might be wondering where the hell David/Charming is, and why HE isn't the one reading to Mary Margaret/Snow. My simple answer to that is to be patient. I promise he's coming and no, I'm not going on a writer's free-spree and gonna hook Snow up with anyone OTHER than Charming (considering also that Josh Dallas and Gennifer Goodwin are married in real life 3).  
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**Another question I've been getting is 'who is this Henry guy?' and to that I can only direct you to the prologue I wrote before I wrote up this story (again). I mentioned this at the beginning of this story that it was highly important that you read the prologue, as it explains who these 'newbies' are and their importance to the story. I'm afraid that if you don't read the prologue, you will be lost. If that answer doesn't satisfy you, then I'll direct you to a couple chapters back where Henry clearly calls himself "Chesh" or "Cheshire" a few times. Henry is obviously a false name :)**

**Anywho, if you all have any more questions/concerns (after reading the prologue of course cuz I don't particularly like repeating myself) then please, ask away whether PM or review.**

**Now...ONTO THE SMUT!  
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The evening went on as such until they had both had their fill of food and conversation. Regina had made a mention that she had an apple pie in the freezer, and it was decided that she was to put it into the oven just so Henry could see how delicious it really was. While they waited, they retreated into the living room which was as large and elaborate as any other part of her house, though this room had a lush, white carpet spreading across the floor, a roaring fireplace in the center of the wall across from them and a quiet theme of horses.

Regina filled Henry's cup of wine before setting the bottle back down in the ice bucket on the coffee table in front of them and leaned back into the corner of the couch, kicking off her black heels so that she could comfortably bring them up and underneath her.

"...I can still remember the look on my father's face when I had cleared the course while riding bareback. He was so happy I swear I saw tears." Regina finished her story, since the topic of the horses in the room piqued Henry's interest, and she had told him of her experience riding horses often as a little girl.

"You know..." Regina said after a small pause. "...that could very well be what drew me to you, Henry." She went on. "My father's name was Henry also...the most noble, honest man I had ever met..."

Henry smiled as Regina told her story, taking random sips of his wine as she spoke before switching onto the subject of her father; who shared Henry's name.

"He sounds like a good man." He replied warmly, letting out a soft exhale.

"He was." Regina replied almost curtly, letting the implication that her father was no longer alive hang in the air like a bitter cold.

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss." Henry said, empathetically; easily reading the signs that Regina's father was no longer alive. "I'm sure he's very proud of you." He reassured gently, removing his glasses again as if to add emphasis to his statement. Little was known about The Evil Queen's father, even during his time of living in Snow White's Castle for a number of years (undetected of course) he could only gather that her father loved her very much, despite being treated like any other servant from The Evil Queen…but her story told him that there was much more to that tale than she was letting on, and pressed that information to the back of his mind for later use.

Regina was unable to hold back a scoff, her mind now going to what her father would say about all of this...would he be proud? She remembered his last words to her before she ripped his heart out, that whatever it was that made her happy, then he would be happy also. But again, that was _before_ she ripped his heart out for her own selfish reasons for wanting this curse. But that wasn't likely a story she'd be willing to share with the man sitting a few feet away from her, so she settled on simply answering with,

"I hope so."

Henry offered a warm, genuine smile in return; being about all he could do with so sensitive a topic.

"My father was never around much. Wasn't his fault, just couldn't afford to pay the bills. Constantly worked two to three jobs at a time, never saw us much. He was a provider...but never a father - hopefully he found rest." Henry finished, taking another swig of wine.

Regina looked from her half-empty wine glass to Henry, meeting his eyes. So...Henry came from poverty. She wanted to sneer on impulse, but held back when a gut-wrenching realization hit her; Daniel had been from poverty too. She was to marry him, to have a fulfilling life as the stable-boy's wife. She never wanted this...power. The money, the fame...she could have done without it all, all for Daniel. She had _wanted_ a simple life.

Without realizing it, her thumb and forefinger fidgeted with the simple, twisted ring around her index finger on her right hand, but the moment she realized it, she quickly cleared her throat and set the glass of wine down on the table in front of them. Apparently, wine made her think too much.

"Well...enough of that." She said quickly, her eyes glancing even quicker up to the analogue clock on her wall, wondering if Robert had enough time to go through Henry's room yet or not. She'd rather not give him too much credit, and decided to stall Henry here a little longer. That shouldn't be a problem. An almost wicked smile crossed her lips as she looked back to Henry as she reached out with her hand and set it gently on his knee.

"You're still in the interview process you know..."

"Oh am I?" Henry asked in mock confusion, that same hungry look coming into his eyes. "I think I did pretty good on the last question." He commented with a sultry smile.

A thoughtful expression pursed at Regina's lips, threatening to make her smile.

"Yes, but, the question was only _halfly_ answered, Mr. Carlyle." She reminded him in a professional manner, now deciding to let her lips split into a stunningly beautiful white smile.

"Half answered, eh? Well, how do I answer the other half?' He asked, cupping his chin with a single hand, shifting slightly in his seat.

Keeping her smile, Regina removed her hand from his knee and sat up a little straighter, placing both her hands into her lap.

"You act like you've never had an interview before Henry, you can't ask for tips from the boss." She chastised him with a wicked grin.

"Yes, quite right, I had nearly forgotten!" He replied, not-so-subtly licking his lips. "Now then...let's get started on that second half." He said in an almost mischievous manner. He began to lean in towards her, setting his own glass of wine on the table to free his hands. "Tell me if this is right." He asked before planting a longing kiss on her neck.

Regina couldn't help but to move instinctively, raising her chin up towards the ceiling and let her eyes flutter closed, only letting out a soft "hmmm..." in response.

Henry took this as an obvious sign to keep going, kissing around the more sensitive parts of her neck, a single hand draping down on her hip. The covered bruising on Regina's neck made itself aware to Regina a few times while Henry kissed her neck, but the dull pain acted as a sort of stimuli, and Regina wrapped her own arms around Henry, holding her hands on the backsides of his shoulders.

Henry cocked his head in very close to her ear.

"Let's see what you can do, Madam Mayor." He said before abruptly planting his lips against hers, picking up where they had left off in the classroom just a few hours ago. Henry seemed to ravage Regina with his lips now that they were finally alone. He let a single hand drift down to her shapely rump, where it stayed firmly planted as he continued to kiss her. He could feel his pants beginning to restrict as a burning feeling pooled downwards from his stomach to his groin.

Regina pushed herself up and off of the couch just a bit, leaning into him and stabilizing herself only with her knees, shins and ankles and of course her arms holding onto him tightly. She was lost in their kiss, each of them seeming to fight over who could bring the most spark into it until Regina felt like she would pass out if she didn't breathe soon. Begrudgingly, she pulled back with a gasp for air but didn't let her light-headedness slow her down as her hands eagerly shot down from his shoulders to the fastenings on his pants, practically ripping off the button in her eager haste before letting her lips crash back onto his before he could speak any objections.

Henry felt tingles circulate throughout his very being as he was thoroughly lost in passion. His growing member throbbed, yearning for freedom from its confines. Henry ignored this for the moment, instead letting his hands shoot towards Regina's shirt in an attempt to hastily remove it.

His hands appeared to be going too slow, because the moment the button was unfastened and the zipper down on his pants, her hands went to her own shirt to unbutton it quicker. She could have ripped the shirt down the seam, but she was surprisingly quick with her fingers, getting each and every button undone with the blink of an eye; obviously practiced. She reached behind her to tug at the opposing sleeve until the silk shirt slid off of her arms and she was able to toss it uncaringly to the side.

Henry let a single hand run up the creamy smooth flesh of her stomach before landing on her breast, giving it a squeeze before reaching back with his free hand to unclasp her bra.

This time, Regina allowed him to do so by himself since her own hands were busy pushing the overcoat off of his shoulders and fighting with his own shirt buttons, slipping her hands underneath the open space now between the two shirt flaps to let her fingers run over his bare chest and sides.

Henry quickly undid her bra, sliding it off and tossing it aside; giving him the full (glorious) view of her bare breasts after he parted from kissing her. Without saying a word, he darted his head in, encircling his mouth around one of her nipples, licking and sucking on it while he let another hand play with the other breast.

Regina's back went straight as he pulled from her lips to latch onto her breasts. She moved her own hands to cradle his head to her chest, her chin again to the ceiling with her eyes rolling in the back of her head as she felt electricity shooting through her with each lick on her hardened nipple, occasionally moaning out a soft, "Oh fuck..."

Henry stayed at her bosom a few minutes longer before eventually pulling back. He pulled down his trousers all the way, throwing them aside before pulling down the band of his (rather tight) boxer-briefs, revealing his hardened 8 inch member fully, the head red and throbbing.

Regina didn't give him time to wait, as she was back on his lips with hers the moment he removed himself from her (now wet) breast and aching nipple. She rested her hands on his, feeling him take off his pants and pull down the waistband of his underwear. She didn't bother to look down at the surprise he had for her, only pushing her body down on him so that his back was lying flat on the couch with her bare chest flush with his open-shirt chest.

She snaked her hand in between them, finding his hardened cock without much effort and wrapped her delicate fingers around him firmly, rubbing her thumb over the swollen head that ached for her. She removed her lips from his only to run her own lips (open mouthed) down his neck and to his collarbone, breathing hot air down on his skin from her throat.

Henry let out a groan as her hand found his member, that same tingling feeling shooting through him. His breath came in short shudders from the intense pleasure he was feeling. He let a hand run down Regina's back before it landed on her ass again, where he squeezed firmly, feeling the supple flesh beneath his fingers over the thin fabric of her slacks.

Regina sat up only a bit, releasing her hand from his cock as she busied herself with unfastening the many buttons and hooks that kept her slacks firmly on her waist. With an unamused grunt, she managed the last one and the slacks fell off her hips on their own will and Regina, not wanting to be away from Henry for longer than she had to, laid herself back down on him placing both hands on his shoulders and kissed him just underneath his ear, feeling his heartbeat fluttering there.

Henry explored her newly-exposed area with vigor, "accidentally" brushing against the front of her panties causing Regina's breath to hitch before landing both hands on her ass again, squeezing and kneading it with great pleasure, as signaled by his still-short breaths. He moved his hands to the band of her underwear and began the slow task of pulling them off.

Regina moved her hips skillfully for Henry so as her underwear could slide off easily with the rest of her slacks that had gotten caught at her ankles. She then, masterfully, placed her pelvis on top of his, the shaft of his cock pressing firmly against the swollen nub that was her clitoris and started to rock herself back and forth on him, not only teasing him for being so close to her entry, but also getting wave after wave of pleasure from the tight pressure she held between them against her clit.

She let herself sit up again, her once perfectly styled black hair now splayed this way and that, some strands even sticking to her face and neck and over her eyes from the sweat that had begun to form on her skin. Her chest heaved heavily as she looked down at him, an animalistic look in her dark browns as she continued to rock her hips on him, holding herself up only by her hands bracing her on his chest. She leaned back down, just a bit so that her lips played at his ear, her hot breath tickling the tiny hairs as she whispered in a demanding tone,

"Give me your cock Henry."

Henry groaned aloud as she teased him, sweat beading on his forehead and in his hair. As she whispered to him, he could only respond with,

"Yes ma'am."

He reached down to where his cock was, glistening with precum and still ready for action. He pumped it a couple times as a bonus before letting the tip press against Regina's pussy lips, leaving her the job of letting it in.

Sitting up again, Regina took hold of his shaft once he was in position and used her other hand to let her fingers spread her lips wide open and used her opposite hand to rub the tip of Henry's cock against her wet slit until he was just as slick as she was. Guiding his head back to her opening once more, she let go of her pussy folds, letting them naturally grip onto his shaft and pushed her hips down at a fairly slow pace, relishing in each and every pulse of pleasure she got as she felt him filling her in so nicely. For a moment, she wasn't so sure if she would be able to get him all in, but she eased into his size and finally their pelvis' met.

Henry inhaled sharply as she eased onto him. He let his hands shoot up to her breasts once more, fondling and squeezing them roughly; making sure to pinch the nipple just enough to send sharp shivers. His cock continued to throb, having been unused for some time now, every touch was more pleasurable and sensitive; the Queen's tightness almost enough to push him over the edge alone.

Regina seemed to be able to sense this, because through her clenched teeth she managed out a,

"Don't you fucking dare!" in a heated snarl and began to push her hips up and down on him, slow at first, still adjusting to his girth but eventually eased into a rhythm, filling the air with the sounds of their skin slapping together, her juices being sloshed around and her gasps and moans of approval.

Henry went along with the rhythm, his eyes almost glazed over as they seemed glued to her breasts, which bounced and jiggled most abundantly with every push. Meanwhile, his hands were busied everywhere; exploring every part her body had to offer.

She continued to bounce on him in a slow rhythm until her thighs began to burn, but she was far from being done. She instead shifted her weight a bit and laid herself back down on him, squishing her breasts against his chest and put her entire focus into her hips, rising them up and down on his shaft in an alarmingly quick rate, again something she could have only learned how to do with practice.

She tried to kiss Henry, to at least nibble at his neck, but the moans that came from her throat time and time again kept interrupting and held her hands firmly on his shoulders, unaware that her nails began to dig into him as she tried to go faster on him.

Henry ignored her nails, too caught up in the heat of the moment to notice the slight bit of pain amidst a sea of pleasure. He tried to hold back his oncoming orgasm as she pumped on him, rubbing his hands up and down her back while breathing heavily.

They held this rhythm for a while until Regina could feel a burning heat quelling up in her abdomen. She gasped, knowing that she was close and a wicked idea flashed into her mind. Without much warning, Regina pulled up on him until he popped out and she moved herself back so that she was sitting in the corner of the couch between the backing and the arm. She spread her legs wide open for him, her pussy lips red and swollen with the abuse they had been taking as well as the pleasure.

She pressed two fingers to her even more swollen and red clit, using her other hand to spread her lips wide apart so he could see all, a small dribble of her juices running down her thigh and settling into the couch cushion below her. She started to rub her clit furiously for him, so fast in fact that her fingers looked like a blur. Unable to help it, her head tossed back and screamed a loud "FUCK" at the ceiling before moving one hand to Henry's arm and pulled him closer to her, guiding his head down towards her pussy as she kept rubbing herself.

"Eat me Henry, UGHNN...fucking eat...eat me uhhh...until...ohhh Goddddd..."

Her words seemed to invigorate him as he wordlessly plunged his head into the folds of her pussy, letting his tongue explore every inch; focusing on her swollen clit occasionally as a tease. He placed both hands on her shapely hips, his still rock-hard cock dangling aimlessly between his legs.

She continued her assault on her clit as he enveloped her with his tongue, the combined pleasure of what she was giving herself and what he was giving her forced her hips to start bucking unexpectedly and her eyes immediately rolled into the back of her head as a lightning storm seemed to target her personally. Her scream filled the entire house, but she had no shame, only letting up on her clit just a bit as a warm rush of fluid erupted from her and splashed out onto Henry's face.

Henry licked up the sweet juices on his face as he pulled back, an almost sedate grin on his face.

"I'll take that as a compliment." He managed to joke breathlessly. He moved closer to her until their lips were mere inches apart. He let his tongue run itself across her lips, as if to give her a taste. He hadn't even given her a chance to catch her breath before his tongue was on her lips, and she wouldn't have had it any other way. When he pulled back from her, just a bit, she ran her tongue over her lips, getting a good taste of herself from what he had deposited, all the while smiling at Henry with a wicked grin while her chest continued to heave.

"Now what are you going to do to me?" She inquired, giving up the dominant role willingly for the first time in what almost felt like forever.

"Something fun." He replied with a devilish grin that seemed to carry a hint of insanity. "Would you kindly get on the floor?" He asked, trying to make so lewd a request still sound respectful.

Taking a moment to lick her dry lips, Regina ran her fingers delicately down Henry's face as she slipped down onto the floor, waiting for further instruction.

Henry quickly joined her, holding his still-erect member in his hand while speaking.

"Get on your hands and knees, please." He requested, his voice almost eerily polite - given the circumstances and intent.

She had to laugh at the formality given the situation, but she had a good idea what it is that he wanted. She obeyed, placing her hands onto the soft carpet beneath her and steadied herself on her knees, arching her back just slightly so her ass stuck up into the air and wiggled it around a bit with her hips, just to tease him.

A sharp inhale came from Henry as he was obviously pleased with her display. He gave one of her cheeks a firm but gentle smack before whispering wickedly,

"Get ready."

He spread her cheeks apart with both hands before starting to push the tip of his cock into her swollen anus, noting just how tight it was.

"My, my, someone's not paid much attention to you." He said in a sultry manner. "I can fix that." He finished, licking his lips ever so slowly.

Her fingers kneaded into the carpet, feeling his swollen head pressing tightly against her asshole and couldn't help but to let out a pleased grunt at where he was taking things. It was true, she didn't get a whole lot of anal penetration but she was almost always willing.

"Put it in, now!" She hissed before exhaling sharply in preparation of what was to come.

"As you wish, Madam Mayor." He replied with a wink before abruptly pushing the head in entirely, easing his shaft further into her orifice, every little movement sending shivers down his spine; goosebumps prickling across his skin.

Regina sucked in a quick breath followed immediately by a warm groan coming from her throat. She could feel the muscle tearing in some places to adhere to his size, but it was more like a warm, ripping pain that just added to the pleasure she was receiving.

"Ugnnn...big boy aren't ya...?" She complimented quietly, digging her fingers into the carpet even further.

"Mmm, I always thought so." He replied after a long groan, eyes closed as the pleasure seemed absolutely overwhelming.

"Let's...see how far we...can take this..." He suggested before pulling out slowly until just the head remained in before thrusting again - slowly, sensually.

Her hips moved back with him, unwanting him to pull out of her so quickly and even let out a small whimper of protest, but then realizing that he wasn't planning on pulling out after all.

"It's time to show me what _you_ can do." Regina countered.

"Yes ma'am." He said through clenched teeth, yet a sly smile still managed to cross his lips. He continued the slow thrusts until he felt her muscles properly adjust to him before increasing his speed and ferocity, letting his hands roam across her body whilst doing so.

"Like...this...eh?" He asked hoarsely, letting out a breathless chuckle.

"Oh God, yes!" Regina cried out to him. Her eyes closed tight, giving all her focus to the pleasure he was giving her, using her imagination of what the two of them must look like if someone were to walk in right now.

"Ugnn...c'mon Henry, harder!"

Henry was wordless as he increased the pace even further, pulling in and out constantly with enough speed to send a slight cramp through his hips - but he ignored the pain, too distracted to care at the moment. A mischievous idea seemed to flash across his eyes and, without warning, let a single hand move under and slowly dragged itself across her still-recovering pussy.

"Shhhitttt..." Regina's body shuddered at his new touch, but it wasn't at all unwelcomed. She got her head clear enough to adjust herself a bit, coming out of the doggy-style position and grabbed at his free hand that had been holding her waist, pulling it around her as she sat up, still keeping him inside her until her back was flush with his chest where she then placed his hand to hold her steady just underneath her breast. "Ngnnn keep going...!"

Henry had to adjust his pace at the newfound position until he found a good place to start up again, increasing in speed until it was like they had never moved. He let the hand that wasn't supporting her move up to cup her breast, bouncing it in his hand with every thrust, letting the thumb and forefinger rub at her nipple on occasion.

Regina hissed and moaned at the newfound position, the added stimuli building up that familiar heat in the pit of her stomach but it still had a ways to go before she would reach her second orgasm. That wasn't a problem of course, she would be willing to draw this out as long as she possibly could, and not just because she wanted to stall Henry for Robert anymore.

She turned her neck to the side, finding his cheek with her partly opened lips and nipped at his earlobe, rewarding his touches with soft moans directly into his ear.

"Ohh, I love that." He said in a hushed tone, his cock practically aching from the sheer amount of arousal coupled with the penetration. "I never...thought you'd be...this experienced, Madam Mayor." He managed to say in-between thrusts, a coy smile ever-present on his lips as he suddenly pinched the same nipple he was just rubbing.

Madam Mayor. A name she heard plenty of people call her on a regular basis, but now...here in the current situation, the title alone shot a pulse of pleasure through her entire body, setting every nerve on fire for just a brief moment which caused her naked body to cover it goosebumps.

Her chest began to heave again, finding it harder and harder to catch her breath as her pleasure built up, her pulse in her neck pushed so tightly against his lips clear as day to him. She raked her open lips down his neck whilst breathing out a stream of hot air. She couldn't think now, not of a reply, not of anything. Her entire mind was clouded with her built up ecstasy, nearly pushing her over the edge once more.

"Ohhh yes." He noised, obviously loving what she was doing to him. He felt a tingle start building up in his groin and knew it wouldn't be long before his own orgasm. With this in mind, he slowed his pace slightly - just enough to give his member a slight reprieve and stay in the game that much longer. He let the hand that was holding her breast snake down until it reached the taut skin of her stomach, where it began to rub in slow circles, his eyes shut tightly as the passion overtook him once more. He wanted to hate her, he should hate her for what she did to him - but now, in this very moment: he couldn't. And he was alright with that.

She reached her hands back, one hand holding the back of his neck while the other had her fingers tracing down his cheek, hooking on his lower lip for a slight moment before running over the smooth, new shave of his chin. She could feel the familiar twitch in his cock letting her on that he was getting close, but so was she.

She debated for a moment about demanding that he hold out longer, not knowing if he was the kind of guy that was a 'once and done' but the anticipation of wanting to feel his hot load in her was too tempting to pass up, and so she goaded him on.

"Harder Henry, I-ugnn...fill me up. Fill my ass with your -oh fuck- hot load like I know you want to..." She whispered into his ear, having dragged her lips back up to it.

Henry could do little but let out a short laugh at her words, that seductive fierceness plain in his eyes as he; at her request, increased his pace again, the sounds of his slick cock inside her quite apparent amidst the sounds of their pleasure.

The tightening in his groin only increased, his head tingling dangerously until he finally allowed himself to go over the edge. His member twitched violently inside her as wave after wave of his sticky seed shot out inside her, his hips moving along with each pulse of his orgasm.

"Nyahhhh! Fuuuuckk!" Regina felt his hot load empty deep into her, it being the final push to send her over the edge. Her body shook violently and for a moment her vision went completely black aside from a few twinkling stars that she didn't even bother to focus on. For the second time that night, she exploded (though not as much fluid as the first time) and the room filled with the smell of their combined sweat, passion, and juices.

The only thing keeping Regina from simply falling forward onto her chest in exhaustion was Henry's tight hold on her, and for that she was grateful. Her body kept shaking, unwilling to respond to any other type of movement that Regina might have wanted at that time, but she was perfectly content with coming out of her orgasm by having him just hold her there...just for a moment...

Henry let out a multitude of deep breaths, trying to recover precious oxygen from that ordeal. He made no effort to pull out his steadily-softening cock, not yet anyways; and simply let his head rest on her shoulder.

"Best sex I've...ever had." He complimented with a wide, but slightly tired grin.

Regina rested her own head back onto his shoulder, looking up at the ceiling as her vision finally became clearer, however the stars remained for just a few moments after. She could have said the same thing, but she wasn't too willing to give him the satisfaction of that knowledge quite yet. She still had to remain in charge after all.

"Mmmmm...don't think you're getting out of this one that easily." Regina mused quietly, not much energy left in her to say it any other way. Maybe she didn't have another round left in her after all, but she had to try.

"Upstairs..." Regina said in between gradually slowing breaths. "...bath or bed; your choice."

"I think..." he began, "That we're both well in need of a bath, would you agree?" He asked with a coy smile, finally pulling himself out of her. His cock had since softened, but the way he spoke signaled that it wouldn't take much for it to rise for action once more.

He wriggled both arms about until one was draped around her back and the other under her legs. With a small grunt of effort he lifted himself and her off the ground. Wordless (his grin being all the words necessary for the time) he carried her up the stairs, taking care not to slip and fall until they found themselves in the master bedroom, Henry's eyes darting to the open door of the bathroom.

Regina gave Henry a pleased smile at the gesture, and allowed for him to carry her up the stairs, initially surprised by the strength he had in his arms for such a (upon her first impression) string-bean of a guy.

He carried her through the door, gently putting her down next to the bath before bending over (giving her a great view of his cock and ass) to turn the water on.

Resting on the lip of the tub, Regina folded her arms over her bare chest more out of habit than in an attempt to cover herself up. She bore no shame of her nakedness. She knew what she looked like, and she knew he liked it.

She waited for the tub to fill halfway before she took it upon herself to reach over to the bubble bath soap and applied a generous amount to the running water and watched as the bubbles began to overtake the tub. Satisfied, Regina then slipped into the tub herself, her hand on Henry's urging him to get in with her.

Henry grasped her smaller hand, carefully stepping in and lying down next to her, the warm water giving him a sensitive, tingling feeling - and began to harden his member once again.

"Mmm, this is nice." He said in a carefree tone, letting his eyes close as he had a single hand run up and down her shapely thigh, the water sloshing with every motion.

Her body shuddered at the simple touch, the warm water making the experience that much better. She rolled around a bit until her chest was pushed up against his, her breasts completely submerged under the water and the bubbles up to her neck. The makeup had probably worn off by now, at least on her neck, but she could care less really, as long as her eyeliner and mascara stayed intact.

She replied to his statement simply by pressing her lips to his, running her hand down his neck and holding on his chest. It wasn't anything like the animalistic type of kissing they had undergone downstairs, although it did hold the same amount of arousal it was just her being tired, waiting for her second wind to eventually kick in.

Henry let out a quiet groan as she kissed him, letting a single hand submerge in the water to go towards his groin. He grabbed a hold of his firm cock and began to pump it slowly, letting his free hand move about her breasts and stomach whilst he masturbated.

Regina felt his arm dip down under the water, and curious, she let her hand slide down from his chest to trail down his arm, finding his hand wrapped around his cock. She held her hand over his, feeling his movements of pumping up and down on himself. She didn't know what it was, but something about a man jacking himself off for her sent all sorts of electrical pulses through her body. She pulled her lips from his, but only a half a centimeter and just for a moment to speak.

"Mmmm...that feel good?" She asked, still keeping her hand on his but lightly so that his movements were his own.

"Like you'd never believe..." He replied, his voice thick with arousal; yet his movements on himself were slow and sensual, as if to maximize pleasure whilst sacrificing speed and ferocity. "Seems you like it as well." He added with a quick wink.

"I relish in the fact that a man feels comfortable enough to pleasure himself in front of me." She admitted with a soft smile.

"Well..." he began, "I've pleasured myself to the thought of you before. Having you naked next to me was an...opportune time." He said seductively, letting his free hand trail over her ample bosom as he spoke.

"You have, have you?" She inquired, quirking an eyebrow in surprise. "When was that Henry? We've only just met." She reminded him, wondering if she was about to call him out on a bluff. Of course she wasn't able to help her breath hitch when his other hand ran over her breasts.

"If I might speak freely-"

"You may."

"-last night." He admitted, eyes averting hers like a young child avoiding a parent's wrath.

"You mean after I threatened you..." Regina couldn't help but to chuckle, vividly remembering their conversation from last night.

"I have a tendency of finding a silver lining. In this case, you threatened me, but-" He leaned in closer until he was right next to her ear. "You were also very arousing." He finished with an alluring look in his eyes.

"I tend to have that effect on men." Regina replied blatantly, though unable to keep her smile from her lips. She craned her neck just a bit to meet her lips with his once again, and moved her hand on his to urge him to keep going, if a bit faster.

Henry complied, his pumps increasing just a little bit in speed; the water sloshing once again as his hand kept going up and down on his cock. "You know...it's quite _slippery_ in here." He observed coyly. "Could make a person _very_ flexible." He added on, obviously thinking of something lewd enough - as signaled by another increase in speed with his pumps.

She grazed her teeth over his neck and up to his ear as he spoke, a thoughtful purr resounding in his ear from her throat as he made the suggestion and said simply, in her commanding tone,

"Show me."

Henry smiled widely at her request. He released his hand from his cock and instead repositioned himself slightly until he had it dragging across her thigh, letting that serve as his own pleasure.

She hummed lightly, fighting the urge to take his cock in her own hand and just push it back inside of her where she liked it most. Though, his words intrigued her, and remained patient to see what it was that he had planned.

"Hmmmm...you going to fuck me again Henry?"

"Mm, of course - but maybe not just _yet_." He said with a seductive smile, moving his cock to rub across her belly. "Have you ever been tit-fucked before Madam Mayor?" He asked curiously.

"Of course I have, what kind of a question is that?" Regina snapped in an almost condescending tone. Now knowing of his plan, however, she moved herself off of him, just a bit and moved her body downwards, finally taking his cock into her own hand. She looked up at him, her smile returning as she gave him a few good, hard pumps before positioning his cock between her mounds and then used her hands to press her breasts together, trapping his cock between them.

Henry looked perplexed for a moment as she snapped, but this expression quickly subsided back to base arousal. He couldn't help but let out a long groan as she pumped him by herself a few times before placing his member between her tits. He repositioned himself until he was just above her, slowly beginning to thrust in and out, a wicked gleam in his eye.

Now on her back in the bath, the water reached all the way up to her neck, however she pushed her chest out so that her breasts were above the water, still slick enough for Henry to slide his cock between them with ease. She watched his cock push up and down between them for a while, and then let her browns look up at his face with a soft expression, wanting to see his own expressions of pleasure that were going through him.

Henry let out a long groan of pleasure as he felt her luscious breasts squish around him as he kept on thrusting in and out. He placed both hands on her belly, letting his eyes look deep into hers.

She held eye contact with him for quite some time, lust making her eye lids grow heavy until she decided she wanted a change. She wrapped her hand around his cock once more, though kept it between her breasts and allowed him to keep pushing it between them, but now each time he came up, she would stick her tongue out and run it quickly over the head, never breaking eye contact with him.

Henry shuddered each time she licked his head, the tip glistening with a mixture of water, precum, and saliva; but he didn't let this deter him, and kept on. He let his hands roam down to her thighs, where they stayed for some time, though he was tempted to give her pussy a quick touch - he enjoyed this feeling too much.

"Mmmm, go on, touch me." Regina said in a yearning, but commanding tone. She said no more as his cock came back up once more and instead of running her tongue over the head, she trapped the head of his cock in between her lips, now using her hand to keep him there as she swirled her tongue up his slit, licking the precum off with eagerness before allowing her tongue to wrap around him over and over with a now very hungry look in her eye.

"Shit." He hoarsely muttered as she took his head in her mouth, swirling her tongue about him hungrily. Complying with her wishes, Henry let his hand run down her pussy for a few moments before letting one finger tease at the folds.

Regina's nostrils flared, unable to give much of vocal appreciation and instead breathed heavily through her nose feeling his finger teasing her. She hummed a bit, letting the vibrations run into the head of his cock and all the way down his shaft; she could even feel it in her hand that still held onto him which slowly began to start pumping up and down on him.

His breathing seemed to cascade into quick, short bursts as she began jerking him off and sucking him at the same time. Wanting to even the score, he let a single finger (slick from the water) plunge into her pussy without warning, his free hand still on her thigh.

She hissed, her back arching up in the tub causing her breasts and pelvis to push up even further above the water. The bubbles had diminished drastically, leaving just a soapy layer on her skin. His finger was nothing like the feeling of his hard cock inside of her, but with his fingers, he could easily reach places that his cock hadn't quite been able to before, and so she wiggled her hips around a bit to help guide him to her g-spot as she continued to lick and suck on the head of his cock.

Henry, the hungry look matching Regina's in his eyes once more, let a second finger enter her; using both of them to feel about for _all _the right places. He let her guide him towards her g-spot, wriggling his fingers about to maximize any pleasure she was receiving.

Regina was forced to pull his cock out of her mouth, just for a moment, to let out a slight scream, indicating that he had found it. Her body shook violently for a brief second upon his discovery but she managed to ease her body back down into the water.

"Ohhhh, FUCK that feels SOOO GOOD!" She groaned, her hand tightening on his shaft a bit more and began to pump him faster, not trusting her mouth to be able to return to his cock just yet in case she had more surprise obscenities to scream out.

Henry seemed to move his hips along with her jacking him off, unable to focus on much besides fingering Regina and using his free hand to squeeze at her ass when he could.

"Oh fuck yes, right there Henry, harder..." She popped his cock back into her mouth but she pushed him into her mouth farther than just his head and let her head begin to bob up and down on his shaft, getting halfway down before sliding back up with her eyes locked on him once more.

"Hnngh!" He grunted as she began to suck him off harder than before, feeling his eyes flutter shut from the sheer pleasure; not forgetting to insert a third finger into her pussy. He used his free-hand now to grab and knead at her breast, relishing in the experience.

She tried moaning, though muffled by his thick cock in her mouth but sending the vibrations all through him as she did. She pushed his cock in her mouth farther and farther, opening up her throat as much as she could until her lips hit the joint area where his cock met his pelvis and looked upon Henry with satisfaction that she had been able to take his whole length in her throat. It didn't last long though, as her throat started to convulse in a reflex to gag. The muscles spasmed down on his cock but she held it there as long as she could before quickly pulling him out of her completely to gasp for breath.

His slick wet cock seemed to throb with arousal when she pulled him out, Henry looking quite impressed with her. As a reward, he let a fourth finger enter her - slowly, with as much wriggling as he could manage to make it feel glorious.

"Tell me..." Regina breathed out heavily, now just using her hand to pump up and down him again as she tried to regain her breath. "...tell me what you thought about last night, every little detail. I want to know what made you so hard last night in your bed while you thought of me."

"Well..." Henry began in a lusty tone, licking his lips. "I thought about having you right then and there. Slam you down on the hood of the car and take you right there in the middle of the street. I'd fuck you, you'd jerk me off _jusssst_ like this and I'd pay special attention to those heavenly mounds of yours." He detailed, eyes staring intently at her breasts to add emphasis.

Regina broke eye contact with him for just a moment, letting her head rest back on the edge of the tub and let her eyelids flutter closed, imagining the picture that he was drawing for her. With the four fingers inside her all at once, she could even imagine that it was his warm cock in her, and her hips responded with an equal amount of penetration in which she was giving his cock with her hand.

"Uhnnn...shit Henry...you're so fucking hard! You want to cum again, don't you?"

"Soooo bad." He replied, letting the words roll off his tongue. True to his word, his cock twitched and throbbed; waiting patiently to fire its load. "Your hand - feels _so_ nice." He said, content as she continued to pump him up and down. He began pumping the 4 fingers in her pussy to imitate actual fucking, using his other hand to play with her breast.

Regina let up her head again, putting his cock back into her mouth and bobbed her lips up and down him again, using her hand to vigorously pump him up and down underneath where her lips reached.

"Cum for me." She goaded, leaving his cock for just a moment to speak and then put it back in, pumping a few more times before taking it back out. "All over my face, that's what you want isn't it?" She asked and returned his cock to her mouth once more.

"Oh fuck yes." He replied, voice full to the brim with arousal and lust. "I want to cum on your face..." He repeated in a sultry tone, licking his lips as he did so.

"Then cum - " She paused to put him back in her mouth for a second. "For me -" Another pause, returning to jacking him off in long, hard strokes with the tip just in her mouth now. "NOW!"

Henry grinned madly and willed himself to lose the battle with his oncoming orgasm, his cock throbbing once more before beginning to fire its load - stronger than the first one had been. He went along with the movements, shallow breaths escaping his lips.

Wads of his load covered Regina's face, dripping down her chin and into the water. She eased up on his cock and used her fingers to gather up what she could on her face before sliding her cum-coated finger into her mouth and sucked it dry, humming as she got her first real taste of him. She then used her other hand to gather up the cum that had dripped down her chin and onto her neck and moved it down to her left breast where she rubbed it into it like a cream.

Henry felt his muscles loosen up considerably, and let himself relax deep in the water to recover - his body still slightly shaking from his orgasm.

"That...that was fan-...fantastic." He said breathlessly. "But...I'm getting...pruny. Let's take this...to the...bedroom." He said with a small wink as he (somewhat weakly) stood up and stepped out of the tub, holding out a hand for her to take.

When they were both out, Henry got to work drying himself off and fixing his _especially_ messy hair, turning it back to the controlled chaos that he preferred. The thermostat made the room warm and toasty, giving him a heavenly feeling of almost complete surrealism.

"The bed awaits." He said cheekily, not bothering to put any clothes on.

Regina's eyes brightened to match the white smile she gave him. Henry _still_ wanted to keep going, even though he had already came twice for her. She quickly toweled herself off, doing a quick-check in the bathroom mirror to make sure she still looked alright (makeup wise) and then headed out of the bathroom, grabbing Henry by the wrist and pulled him into her bedroom. She didn't let him go until she reached the bed and turned around to face him, letting her bare ass sit comfortably on the foot of the bed and looked up at Henry expectantly.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" He asked with a smirk before joining her on the large, comfortable bed. "What would you like to do first?" He asked, licking his lips as his eyes were obviously looking at her body once again.

Regina draped her arms around his neck, holding him there loosely with her bright smile easing into a mischievous one.

"There's still one more place I want you to cum for me." She replied and brought her hand around from the back of his neck and up and around to cup his cheek. "And I'll let you be the one to find it." She winked and then reached her neck up to crash her lips against his once more.

Henry let himself fall deeply into the kiss, his eyes closing slowly as he felt the tugging in his groin which signified that he was getting hard again.

He pulled back for a split second to speak, "It's either your mouth or your pussy." He whispered with a smirk, "Maybe I should try both." He finished seductively before planting his lips against hers once more, hands placed at her sides.

"I wouldn't mind that." Regina replied before their lips met again. She used her teeth more this time, nibbling on his lower lip in eager anticipation and then immediately licking the area where she had bitten as a non-verbal apology for maybe biting down too hard. Her hold around his neck tightened as she pulled him down onto the bed with her until her back was on the soft, silk bed comforter and let her naked legs intertwine with his, feeling his member slowly growing stiff again against her leg.

"Mmm, you're a bit more lively now." He observed with a mischievous smirk, trailing two fingers down from her lips, to her cleavage, down her stomach, and stopping just above her womanhood. "I'll do _whatever_ you want me to." He said coyly before turning to suck on her neck.

"You are absolutely right about that." Regina replied with a smirk, somehow keeping composure enough to not melt into him from the way that he touched her so softly. She didn't guide him to do anything else yet though, only having him lay on top of her while her hands roamed his face, back, shoulders and neck, kissing him with enough fervor that her skin felt like it was on fire; as if there were a roaring fireplace surrounding them and they were in the middle of it.

After what could have easily been a minute, or an hour, Regina took his hand in hers and guided it to the swollen nub above her womanhood and had his fingers press onto it firmly, making her back arch automatically at the stimulation, but she kept her lips locked on his and her eyes closed tight.

Henry proceeded to take initiative and slowly started rubbing on the nub that Regina moved his hand to, all the while letting his tongue leave his own mouth to occupy hers. His cock only continued to harden during all this, until the warm, stiff, throbbing member was pressed tightly against Regina's leg - wanting attention.

Regina broke free from their longing kiss, pausing for breath. She removed her hand that had been cupping his cheek and slipped two of her fingers into her mouth, wetting them before letting them slide down in between their entangled bodies and spread her wet saliva onto her slit which had gone dry from toweling off. Once she was content with the makeshift lubrication, she grabbed hold of his shaft and pumped it softly, amazed at how hard Henry was already even after cumming twice.

"You impress me Henry." She voiced her thoughts, pausing to nip her teeth at his neck playfully while she rubbed the head of his cock against her saliva-wet slit.

"Oh do I?" He asked with a slight smirk, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment as she played with his cock whilst speaking. "How so?" He asked in a sultry voice, leaning in to suck on one of her nipples while awaiting an answer.

"How can you be so hard still after releasing yourself twice for me? I must say it's been a while since I've bed a man with such a capability." She positioned his cock then on her clit, just below where he was rubbing her and used her hand to rub his cock onto it as well, letting a low growl come from her throat and was forced to close her eyes for just a moment.

"Well, to be blunt, I pleasure myself _quite _often, so I can keep going where other men would need to recover." He explained before kissing her neck once again.

"I just might have to have you around more often." Regina chided with a smile as he kissed her neck. She slapped his dick onto her clit a few times before being done with the teasing and eased his cock back to her slit where she let him take the hint that she was ready for him to push back into her.

"Oho, eager are we?" He asked teasingly, but complied and slowly eased his length into her, pulling back slightly before thrusting in again. His method was slower, more sincere for now; a single hand placed on her ass and the other on her breast.

"Ahnn...yes..." Her walls immediately adjusted to him, though still held him tight within her it was just like it was his first time being in her again. She moved both her hands again to wrap around his neck and let her eyes flutter back open to look at him. "You are going to fuck me until I'm raw and my throat goes hoarse from screaming your name." She said, her eyes seeming to darken in a wicked glare...like an unspoken threat.

"As you command-" he began, slowly pulling out. "I obey." He finished before thrusting in again. A wicked idea entered his mind suddenly, matched by an equally-wicked grin. He took a single hand with two-fingers extended and reached around her before beginning to finger her in the ass while fucking her at the same time, making sure to nibble at her neck for emphasis.

"Oh God...GNnnnn...FUCK! Yes! Oh God more!" Regina squirmed underneath him, but she had no intention of trying to get away. She raised her hips up, holding them in the air so that he could penetrate her ass with his fingers better. Her eyes had shut again, rolling into the back of her head even after they had closed.

This seemed to invigorate Henry, who increased both his thrusts in speed; mischievously adding a third finger to her asshole without warning. He leaned his head in towards her ear, making sure to slowly lick her cheek before doing so, whispering,

"Let's make this third the loudest."

As if he had to drive that point Regina was already moaning louder than before, matching her previous screams of an orgasm in her usual moaning, filling the house with her echoes. Her hips began to shake, her abdomen muscles flexing and slowly giving out from holding them in the air so she bent her leg at the knee and brought it up to her chest before roping her leg over his shoulder for easier penetration on both her pussy and asshole.

"Oh yes! Just like that!" Henry exclaimed with a manic grin, now planting his face in her cleavage while he fucked her in both holes; the sounds of his slick cock in her pussy walls seeming to resound in their ears.

"Gah! Oh GOD Henry!" Regina continued to hold her leg up high, being surprisingly flexible to the point where she eventually dragged out her other leg and rested it over his opposite shoulder. Her hands grabbed behind her head at the comforter, pulling and tugging as she cried out at the deep penetration and screamed out for more.

Henry's thrusts became ferocious, dragging his tongue across her sweat-sheened body while still fucking her with no apparent end in sight. He tried a new method of fucking her, pulling out his cock and choosing to insert it inch by inch every so often before continuing the regular almost blinding pace.

Regina didn't seem to like it when he teased her like that, which was evident by the way her hand went from the bed sheets to his shoulder and raked her nails down his skin, leaving angry red marks in his way. She hated it, and yet she loved it, and so she made no move to stop him until she felt her climax starting to build.

"Harder Henry, go harder! Ooooh fucccck yes! Please! More! Give me more!"

Henry decided to take a gamble and tried (barely succeeding) in inserting a 4th finger into her asshole, noting that this was probably all it could take. He then turned ferocious once again, in accordance with her wishes, his cock ramming in and out of her roughly while he circulated his tongue around one of her nipples for personal enjoyment.

Regina didn't have much control when it came to pushing back against his thrusts, it was all on him but she held his shoulder tight, squeezing hard with each new wave of pleasure that coursed through her while her other hand left the bed sheets and reached down between her legs, using her fingers to rub vigorously at her already sore and aching clit. At this point, Regina couldn't even fashion an audible sentence, too spread out by screams and cries and moans and heavy breathing. Her toes curled tightly and she attempted to slam her hips down onto Henry each time he thrusted upwards.

"OH FUCK, OH FUCK, IM - IM GONNA - OH FUCK HENRY I'M GOING TO CUM!"

"Then _give_ it to me." He said, his voice a throaty growl, not stopping or slowing his pace. "Give me your _sweet_ juices." He repeated in a softer, sweeter tone, licking his lips expectantly, feeling his own orgasm rising. "And as payment...you can tell me...where you want...me...to cum." He said with a chuckle, eyes aflame.

"In-inside meeeee..." Regina growled out in a throaty groan. "Fucking cum all over inside of me Henry!" She screamed, the dirty talk too much and Regina exploded once again, her juices splashing onto their abdomens with enough force that Regina felt a couple droplets fall on her as high up as her eyebrow.

"HOLY SHIT! NGNNNNNNN FUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

Henry finished around the same time Regina did, both their sounds mixing together into a strange harmony as he shot his load deep inside her pussy, letting out a cry with each individual shot. Exhausted and beyond belief, he pulled out of her slowly and lowered himself onto his knees; leaning forward so that the foot of the bed supported his weight. He laid his head down on her stomach, using it as a makeshift pillow as he recovered from their three consecutive rounds.

Regina basked in the ambiance of the heat of their passion, sweat pushing up onto her skin from every pore in her body and dripping down into the bed sheets below her. She remembered letting her carefully manicured nails run through Henry's mess of wild brown hair, but nothing more as she slipped quickly into a deep sleep.

**Author's Note:**

**Well…I warned you lol. My muse kind of…got away from me on this one, apparently I was REALLY in the mood for smut. Sorry about the length, there were just so many possibilities of Regina to cover here, I had to try them all. ****Anyway…back to your regularly scheduled program (and by that I mean actual plot-related stuff haha).**


	10. Chapter 10: The Mines

**Author's Note:**

**Well, survived the smut did you? Haha and now onto more important things; the plot. I know I've been uploading a new chapter every day but this weekend there was no new chapters, and that's mostly because I think I'm going to keep the weekends new-chapter-free to give the new readers a chance to catch up with everything else. So you can expect new chapters from me Monday-Friday. We still got a long way to go my dear readers, the end is not in sight just yet. Happy reading!**

Bracing a hand against the wall, Regina reached behind her to zip up the small black dress that hugged her skin so tightly, it was like a second skin. In all actuality, the design of the zipper would have required someone else to have done it up for her, but with a closet full of dresses of the like, she had managed a way to do it on her own.

Fluffing her hair in the mirror in her bedroom, she looked past her own face to see Henry finally rolling over, waking up. She smiled smartly to herself, and continued to splay her black hair out making sure the part to the side was perfect.

Henry's tired eyes slowly opened, his vision blurred as he adjusted to the morning light. It took him a few moments to realize where he was.

_"Wait, why am I still here?" _He thought to himself, trying to recall the memories of the night before. _"Did we...? Wait, am I naked?" _He mentally asked himself, lifting up the comforter slightly to see himself fully. _"Welp, I've done it now." _He thought, exasperated before slowly rolling towards the edge of the bed.

"If you want any coffee before you leave I suggest you get up now." Regina said puckering up her lips in the mirror, double checking the crispness of the lipstick she had applied earlier. "I brought your clothes up from downstairs, just there." Regina pulled herself from the mirror and gestured lightly to the pile of neatly folded clothes on the end of the bed before she disappeared into the bathroom to apply any last-minute touch-ups to her makeup.

Rubbing his eyes, Henry stood up completely, his now fully-adjusted eyes just catching Regina as she walked into the bathroom. Wordless, he got himself dressed quickly; not forgetting his glasses in the process.

"Coffee sounds good, thanks," He said quickly, if not slightly uncomfortably as he hastily went down the stairs to the first floor, running both his hands through his hair while whispering, "Oh no, no, no, no, no" to himself.

Regina met with Henry just a few moments later downstairs, clipping on her earrings as she walked into her kitchen and filled up two coffee mugs, one for herself and the other for her guest and brought it over to him. Henry came out of his reverie just moments before Regina joined him downstairs. He accepted the coffee with a small nod, taking a small drink.

Regina quietly brought the coffee mug to her lips, her eyes looking over Henry's shoulder at the digital clock on the stove and tilted her head slightly, looking back at Henry.

"You're going to be late." Regina said seemingly out of the blue.

"Sorry...late?" Henry asked, obviously confused.

"For school." Regina said raising her eyebrows, wondering why this wasn't obvious to him. "You have a job to do Henry, a responsibility. It wouldn't look good to...well...me if you were late on your first official day as their teacher."

"So...I've got the job," he began, though phrased it as more of a statement than a question. "That's fantastic." He said, a wide grin forming. "Absolutely fanTAStic!" He repeated, looking sincerely excited.

Regina shrugged her shoulders, not sharing his enthusiasm as she quietly sipped at her coffee again.

"Well you said it last night, who else around here is qualified enough?"

The word 'enough' hadn't even a pause once it left Regina's lips as suddenly the lights in the entire mansion began to flicker and a loud, rumbling roar resonated from all sides. Regina suddenly lurched, the ground beneath her feet becoming unstable as what would appear to be an earthquake split through not just Regina's home; but all of Storybrooke.

Henry's eyes widened in a split moment and he instantly sought cover, diving underneath the dining table to wait out the ordeal.

Attempting to walk through the shaking, Regina made it over to a large glass window that looked out on the streets of Storybrooke, watching as telephone poles began to split and power lines began to snap, of course causing the power in her home to go out completely. The glass in which she was standing in front of shattered, not enough to send the pieces flying but enough to startle Regina to take a few steps away from the window.

And then, it was done. The entire ordeal hadn't lasted longer than ten seconds, and Regina tentatively walked back to the now broken window to watch as citizens of Storybrooke began walking outside to survey the damage of what had just happened.

Henry slowly crawled out from the table, surveying the surroundings as he stood back up on his feet; dusting off his coat.

"Well...looks like schools canceled for today." He said dryly, putting his glasses back on, having removed them to keep the lenses from fogging up as he drank his hot beverage. "Have you any idea where that came from?" He asked, turning to look at Regina.

"No." Regina answered instantly and with heavy bitterness. She hadn't even looked at Henry, only outside of the window, watching people starting to gather and talk amongst themselves about the commotion. If she had turned to look at him, however, he would have seen her eyes filled with fear, not of the damage that Storybrooke had taken, but the reasoning behind _why_ it had happened.

Surely it was coincidence. Giving Henry a job here in Storybrooke was hardly anything that would cause such a drastic chain of events to start unfolding. But then she realized, the chain of events had already been in motion. The Clock Tower, it had started working the very day that Henry first arrived in Storybrooke. She didn't want to believe Mr. Gold's unspoken words, that Henry would be the one to break the curse. And yet...

Regina quickly set her coffee mug down on the counter, feeling like if she drank anymore she would vomit. Without saying (or even looking) at Henry, Regina hurried to the front door and left the mansion to see what the people of Storybrooke were talking about.

"Well...off again, I suppose." Henry said to himself with a quick shrug before quickly following her out the door towards the mass of people that had started to form, overlapping each other with random questions and frightened or angry statements. It was going to be a long day.

Regina did her best to try to quiet the startled crowds. Other than a few telephone poles and power lines, the city seemed to be safe, nothing that a few days of work couldn't help fix (most importantly, in Regina's opinion, her kitchen window). She had managed to convince most of the people to start working and stop talking when Leroy, the town drunk, ran into the thrall of things shouting that the old mines had collapsed down the way.

Of course this only sent the people that Regina had just calmed down into a wide panic, and Regina could do nothing to stop the crowd from following Leroy to the mines. The knot in Regina's stomach only tightened more, keeping her from being able to breathe for a few moments. Just _how_ much of the mines had collapsed? Feeling her hands starting to shake, and no jacket pockets to shove them into, she took a deep breath and followed the crowd to the area.

Henry had remained silent during the entire ordeal, but hadn't moved from Regina's side until the entire group began towards the now-collapsed mines.

"Oh yeah, town explodes, let's go to the source; brilliant." He said in an exasperated tone, hands in his coat pockets as he began to follow.

While it wasn't as busy as the fire station or the hospital, things were far from relaxed at the sheriff's office. Robert had already gotten the safety cones and caution tape set up for some of the downed power lines on his way into work, and now he began to survey the scene downtown. People were restless and asking a lot of questions, but it seemed like everyone was ok.

Robert grabbed a megaphone from the back of a patrol car and said to the rambunctious crowd,

"Remain calm. There was a minor earthquake related to a collapse in the mine. Personnel from the fire department and the hospital are on the scene to investigate and aid those who were injured. If you need medical attention, the hospital will be able to help as soon as possible. If you require further assistance, please call the emergency number or speak with an emergency responder in person."

The ambulances were sent out as soon as the call was made, and after checking up on his own father in his hospital room, Knox left with them. The paramedics let him sit in the back, this wasn't usually allowed for a mere hospital security guard, but he had to see what was going on in town, feeling compelled to.

Regina, seeming to have completely forgotten about Henry at her heels, ducked underneath the yellow caution tape to approach Robert, her dark red lips pressed into a firm line that could only be interpreted as her being upset about something.

"What happened?" Regina asked Robert specifically, pushing his arm down that held the megaphone so that her voice wouldn't carry. Even though he had already said what had happened to the crowd, Regina didn't want to accept that answer. Something else happened here, it just _couldn't_ be coincidence.

"Something happened in the mines; I thought everything there had been closed down long ago." Regina shot Robert a glaring look, obviously annoyed with his apparent observation. "Everyone's fine, Leroy's just making trouble; I can deal with him in a moment."

"How about you do your _job_ Robert? And deal with him _now_?" Regina snapped harshly at Robert and then just shook her head, walking past him to check out the damage the mines had undergone herself.

She stopped about ten feet from the mouth of the entrance, a glittering object catching her eye. She gave a quick look around her, ensuring no one was looking and squatted down to pick the object up, holding it securely in her hand where it would be hidden from other eyes. Turning quickly, Regina addressed the crowd using the power of her voice rather than the megaphone that Robert had been using earlier.

"Alright everyone, everything is okay. Sheriff Leland, see to it that this entire place is cemented over. This area has become a high-priority danger zone, no one goes near it without my permission."

"WAIT!" Came a shout from the crowd as Mark Dufresne pushed through. He seemed to tense up slightly as he felt everyone's eyes on him, but he pushed aside his fear for the sake of safety. "We can't cement over it - there's a boy and a dog down there." He said, this time somewhat quieter - directed solely at Regina. Without waiting for her reaction, he continued, "I was on my way to work when I saw this boy chasing Pongo down the street. I thought little of it until I saw them run into the mines...I was going to go in there and get them out when the mines collapsed." He finished, absent-mindedly clutching his shoulder, as if in pain.

The air was then filled with the familiar sounds of sirens as the ambulance had finally arrived. From the amount of people helping around, guiding the ambulance to some stable ground to park and the caution tape being arranged, boundaries being set. The mine collapse must've affected a good amount of previously stable land to warrant such cautions, but in these instances it was always better to be safe than sorry. With the ambulance driver parking and the paramedics getting out and rushing over, Knox stepped out and surveyed the immediate area.

Regina looked from Mark to the blaring ambulance that had just arrived, a growing headache from all the noise and confusion only putting her on edge even more. Well...at least Mr. Gold wasn't around to _really_ push her over. She did a quick look around the crowd just in case, not sure if she could stand his smug face looking back at her, knowing. Mark's words finally seemed to register in Regina, as her rigid face relaxed and in place of her scowl...worry lines.

"A boy? Did you say a boy?"

"If there is a child down there, time is of the essence, what further preparations need to be made? Conditions to be met?" With his eyebrows knitted in between confusion and frustration, Knox glanced back over at the mine's entrance.

"It's a good idea to wait, we need to make sure everyone is safe before we do anything to seal it off. Besides, it'd take a while for the trucks to arrive." Robert said and looked at Leroy, noticing that he had calmed down a bit, perhaps because he did not want to get arrested for being drunk in public yet again and seemed to sulk himself into the crowd to avoid any more attention.

"Yes, a boy. I don't know him by name, uh...short, hazel eyes, curly brown hair-"

Henry interrupted before Mark could finish speaking, "That's Mason! One of my students!"

Mark turned sharply to look at the newcomer, cocking his head back to look at Regina.

"Someone needs to go down there." He began in a solemn tone, "And I volunteer." He finished, his face set in a solid neutral expression; divulging no emotion.

Ruby pushed herself from the middle of the crowd and ducked underneath the caution tape, ignoring the pressing look she was getting from Regina as she joined in with the small group that had gathered behind the lines and walked past Knox towards Mark without even so much as a side-glance.

"Excuse me? What do-" Regina tried but Ruby ignored her and spoke directly to Mark.

"If you're going then so am I." She said fiercely, not about to take 'no' for an answer. "I found M-uh,-" Her eyes slowly drifted to Knox wondering if he had told anyone about Mr. Gold, but then looked back to Mark. "-someone in the streets the other night that needed to be taken to the hospital. Panic attack. I could...hear him. I can't explain it, but...I think I can help."

Stepping towards Ruby, the security guard secured a hand on her shoulder, staring her down.

"I don't think so. Let the firefighter do his job." Pausing for a moment, fixing Mark with a firm gaze, "Actually, I may be a better choice to send down for the rescue..." But somehow, Knox couldn't find a voice to mention the increased sensitivity of his eyes...how he could practically see in the dark perfectly now.

Ruby turned, forcing Knox's hand off of her shoulder and tilted her chin up to look at him, her eyes determined but narrowed.

"You don't think I can do anything on my own do you?" She asked with a raised voice. "Stop helping me, and let me do things on my own! I don't need you protecting me all the time Knox, just...stop."

"I don't believe you have the qualifications, the training necessary to undertake such an important rescue. If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem." A pause as the security guard crossed his arms, "We'll be depending on you to keep u-no, this is for the firefighter to decide."

Mark's eyes narrowed as Ruby and Knox went from volunteering to arguing over something completely pointless.

"I'm going alone." He said curtly, no friendliness whatsoever in his tone. "If you two can't focus on the task at hand, then you're not worth my time."

Regina looked between Ruby and Knox, raising an eyebrow in boredom and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sheriff Leland, will you kindly escort Mr. Dufresne to the entrance? If he's volunteering on county time then I cannot stop him." She looked to Knox and Ruby. "You two on the other hand, back behind the line or I'll have you arrested for trespassing."

Hearing the final decision, Knox flicked his eyes to Ruby.

"You've heard the final decision. Let's step back behind that caution tape, then."

Mark looked towards Robert, his expression shifting from annoyance back to neutrality as he nodded at the officer.

"Lead the way, Sheriff." He said simply, his tone that of formal courtesy - lacking warmth.

"If you've got everything you need, come right this way. Remember that the radio signal might be spotty underground." Robert walked with Mark to the mouth of the cave, checking his person to see if he might have had the foresight to attach a flashlight to his belt but came up empty.  
>Ruby's face went firm, and for a moment looked like she was going to walk back behind the line with Knox but she then quickly turned around and ran past Regina before words could even form on the Mayor's mouth. She ran past Mark and Robert and slipped her small frame into the small crack that led into the mines. She knew she could help, to hell with the others. Knox had just about turned when Ruby began walking behind hi—and she took off. He just about missed grabbing her wrist, stumbling on the most random piece of stone, and watching as she sped forth and slipped into the mine. For once, the usually calm and collected man couldn't hold back his anger, and his seething expression was quite evident as he turned to glare the sheriff.<p>

"Do your fucking job!"

Regina's mouth was left agape, looking on at Ruby disappearing into the mines and then to Robert. She used her hands to gesture what her words failed her, as if to say, matching the words of the security guard perfectly.

With the speed of his trained legs, past morning jogs channeled into an incredible sprint, Knox took off towards the mine in seconds…kicking dust behind him. The security guard may have been tall; much larger than Ruby and unable to just slip inside like she had. Once he reached the mouth of the cave, he tore a rock out of the entrance's debris, one by one at an alarming pace with his gloved hands until a gap was made large enough for him to slip between and went after the waitress.

Robert frowned, pausing at the entrance to ask Mark,

"We need to get them out of there, what do you think is the best way to do it? Do you need me or anyone else to help you?" This week had been full of police mistakes, and he knew Regina wasn't at all happy.

"What I need, Sheriff - is obedient civilians." He said shortly, his voice, though remaining normal in volume, was filled with venom. He procured a small flashlight from his own pants pocket and crawled through the small hole, just barely managing to restrain a grunt of pain as his shoulder bumped into one of the narrow walls. And just like that, he was gone like the rest of them.

Regina sighed as she walked back over to Robert and peered into the dark hole where the three had just disappeared into and then looked back to Robert, a blatant expression on her face and shook her head in disappointment.

"Get back to the line sheriff, no one else crosses do you hear me?" Before Regina had even finished speaking, Robert began his walk back to the caution tape. He rubbed his forehead a little bit; looking forward to when he could get a drink after this all was over.

XXX

"What the HELL were you thinking?!" Knox was just going off on Ruby with harsh whispers, as soon as he caught up to her…ducking and weaving to keep up in the cramped spaces. Fucking mines. Why had he come to the scene of the accident again?

"I was able to find Mr. Gold when you couldn't even hear him." Ruby harshly whispered back so that Mark wouldn't be able to overhear them. "I can help, but no one wants to give me a chance. I'm making my own chance."

"I don't care if you won't listen to me." Hopping over a large stone, Knox glance through the darkness...more rock walls, low rock ceiling, Ruby's back as she kept her steady pace, "But you heard the verdict, the firefighter had this situation. It's not too late to-"

There was a low rumbling sound and the walls of the mine shook a little, making tiny little pebbles and a large amount of rock dust fall from the ceiling and onto the three of them. Ruby covered her hand over her mouth and coughed a few times, but was otherwise okay.

"What the hell were _both_ of you thinking?!" Mark spat, looking between both Knox and Ruby having caught up to them with the aid of his flashlight. "I would have expected this behavior from _you_," he began, directing his words at Ruby. "But from a trained security guard? Not only have you endangered yourselves, but now we've wasted precious times finding that boy. So both of you shut up!" He finished, sounding like a drill sergeant reprimanding two recruits and pushed forward to take the lead, using the flashlight to his full advantage to survey the area in front of them.

"You have my apologies, I should have caught Ruby _before_ she took off." Knox replied in what sounded more like a growl than his actual voice.

Ruby stubbornly rolled her eyes at the both of them and continued on at her own pace, taking the lead once again as it was much easier to navigate the narrow shaft with her thin frame.

"Mason?" Ruby called out and immediately regretted it. The vibrations of her voice carrying through the tunnels caused the walls to creak and groan, threatening to break the rotted wood frames that were intended to keep the walls from closing in. But it wasn't all in vain.

There was a sound, far off but Ruby could identify as a dog bark and Ruby hurried forward until the mine tunnels split off into four different directions. Ruby didn't hesitate though, she already knew the way and went down the one that was the second to the right.

"What are you doing? There's four different tunnels we can take!" Mark called after the waitress with an obvious bite of annoyance in his voice, but Ruby ignored the firefighter and continued on. This was _her_ adventure after all.

Knox shrugged as he came to the divide and stopped beside Mark. He had no reason to not believe Ruby was heading in the right direction, and so he simply shot the firefighter a quick look before catching up as best he could with the watiress. More ducking, weaving, and pushing through some debris slowly or lightly here and there. It was clear that these mines weren't built for guys like him.

"Careful." He whispered harshly after her, nearly ripping his shirt on a sudden piece of rock that jutted out from the walls.

Mark, having no say and little choice in the matter, followed the two wordlessly down the second path to the right, keeping his eyes alert for any sign of boy or dog in the mines. He pulled the front of his shirt up over his nose and mouth in case anything less than-savory was in the air. He, too, had to weave and turn sharply at various debris, but experienced far less trouble than Knox, given his shorter stature.

He caught up to Knox rather hastily, whispering,

"Keep your voice down." as a warning. His narrow eyes looked at each wooden beam, paying close attention to the especially deteriorated ones.

Ruby turned the corner, following the sound of the dog barking until finally Knox and Mark were able to hear it, and then hastened her pace when she heard the noise of quiet sniffing. Nearly banging her head on the low ceiling in her haste, Ruby rushed forward, greeted almost immediately by the large Dalmatian with his pink tongue lolling out in between licking her face and his front two paws on her chest.

Following closely behind them, Knox smacked the top of his head against the low ceiling, hissing in pain for a few seconds before refocusing on the task at hand.

"Pongo! I should have known you were the one causing problems here." Ruby said scratching the dog behind the ears, making a point to ignore Knox and allow Mark to tend to the boy while she checked the dog over for any injuries.

Rubbing his head, Knox's eyes flickered between staring at the rescue mission at hand...the boy...and Ruby's little friend, the Dalmatian, Pongo. Eventually, after a moment of internal deliberation, his professional side won out. The security guard spotted the boy, curled up, shaking in the corner.  
>Slowly, going over, Knox crouched (as best he could, in the confined space).<p>

"Hello. You're Mason, right?" Speaking calmly and carefully, he didn't seem to notice the blood dripping from his mild head injury as he continued, holding a hand out to for the boy to shake, "My name is Knox, and all three of us came to-"

Mark looked perplexed as the boy seemed to only become _more_ fearful, shrinking back from Knox as much as he possibly could. Mark took this as a sign to try himself, and placed a firm hand on Knox's shoulder before approaching the boy in his place.

Knox let Mark take over for him, and went to wipe what he thought was sweat...but on his glove, he could plainly see the red of blood. Muttering a curse under his breath, Knox turned away and tentatively touched the cut on the top of his head, a blank expression on his face. Getting into this mine was a big mistake on his part.

"Hey..." Mark began, his voice turning...soft and warm as he squatted down to get on an eye-to-eye level. "My name's Mark, I'm a fireman here...my friends Ruby ,Knox," at this he motioned to his two companions respectively, "and I are here to take you back home." He finished, offering a small, but warm smile as he held out his own hand for the boy to take. Mason stayed still, but his expression turned from outright fear to wary hesitation. "Don't be afraid." Mark said simply, his voice just barely above a whisper. Finally, the boy stood up and slowly approached, taking Mark's hand with a small smile, sniffing and wiping at his eyes. "Let's get you home now, shall we? I'm sure your parents are _very_ worried about you." Mark added, still keeping to his soft tone as he stood up fully, nodding to Ruby and Knox that it was time to go.

Ruby smiled at both Mark and Mason, giving Pongo another quick scratch behind the ears as she eased his front paws off of her chest and walked ahead of the group, Pongo only more than eager to get out of the small, dark space. There was a faint, new kind of smell that tickled at her nose, something metallic, something that made her suddenly realize she was hungry, but she pushed it to the back of her mind and followed the dog back out.

Holding his injury, Knox winced at the small amount of pain and nodded at Mark through the darkness. Following the group out, albeit slowly due to his limiting height, Knox was more than happy to get out of this mine situation.

Mark was silent as he followed Ruby, flashlight in one hand, and Mason's hand in the other. He had to duck occasionally through the debris, but encountered little trouble - while Mason, being as small as he was, experienced no issue at all. Eventually, the small beam of light that came from the less-than-optimal entrance shone off the walls, Mark clicking off his flashlight and returning it to his pocket as they approached.

Stopping just before the hole, Mark squatted down once more.

"Alright, pal, you're gonna climb through this hole, alright? I'm gonna give you a boost on the count of '3', you ready?" The boy nodded hastily in response, the smile that seemed plastered on his face almost obscuring the fact he was trapped in the dark mine shaft just minutes before.

The mine walls began to creak and groan again, a sudden rumbling sound coming before the ground began to shake unsteadily beneath their feet.

"Here we go: one, two, three!" With a slight grunt (due to the pain in his shoulder), Mark managed to boost the boy up until he could catch onto the opening and crawl out. Mark turned to look back at Ruby and Knox, "You two next." He said simply, his tone once again turning blunt and emotionless.

Blinking his eye, then wiping away the blood that threatened to drip down into it, Knox turned to the waitress.

"Ruby, come on, you next." Removing his gloved hand from his still bleeding head injury, he wiped the glove on the side of his shirt, "Come on, let the fireman help you."

Ruby watched as Pongo, on his own accord, bounded up to the ledge, eager to get into the light. She couldn't help but to smile, somehow able to relate the feeling of finally being free. She rested her hand on Mark's shoulder and allowed him to lift her up where she was able to exit the mines with ease, however once she stepped foot outside, the walls and floor began to shake violently once more.

To avoid a rock or two from falling on his head or shoulders, Knox moved closer to the mine's wall. There was a tug, and the security guard knew one of his sleeves was torn.

"Just get on with it. Leave ahead of me, fireman, I've got-" With a sigh, he tried to unlatch the piece of fabric from a piece of wood.

Mark gave Knox one more passing glance; noting the steadily-decreasing condition of the mines. Though he felt the instinctive need to help the man, he also knew not to argue, and with a simple nod, climbed out of the mines.

Removing as much sweat and blood from his face as he could, wiping his gloves on his trousers now, Knox pushed himself up over some rock and dirt, and stepped out into the sunlight once again. The sudden amount of light was blinding, especially since his eyes had already adjusted to the lack of it, the security guard blinked then shut his eyes altogether.

Letting out a single groan of discomfort, he noticed the crowd of people gaping their way. It was peculiar, their expressions, but the shock was not entirely unfounded. Knox was sure he had a little blood on him, and more importantly, was sure they were surprised that Mason was relatively unharmed. Heck, the security guard knew he looked a little more roughed up and injured than the boy they had actually went in to rescue. Still, rescue mission accomplished...Ruby really was capable of taking care of herself...absolutely doing better than either of the men that had gone in after her...

Two firemen were stationed just outside the mouth of the cave, helping out first Mason (who was immediately rushed to a stretcher where he could be given some oxygen for good measure), Pongo, Ruby, Mark and then finally Knox. As soon as the boy made it from the mines though, Regina quickly followed and oversaw him getting checked over by the paramedics.

She could tell from her own standpoint that the boy was going to be okay, just a little shaken up and scared. She approached the boy and got down onto her knees on his level, giving him a warm white smile.

"Mason, is it?" Regina asked quietly. The boy nodded once, using the palm of his hand to wipe away the dirt-streaking tears from his cheeks. "It's alright Mason, you're safe now." Regina picked up her head to look around at the crowd that had gathered to watch, wondering when the boy's parents would finally step up to claim their child. She knew that if she were a mother, she would be tearing through that yellow caution tape if her child had just been pulled from the mines...and yet, no one came.

"Who are your parents Mason? I can give you a ride home." Regina offered, looking back to the boy but he made no sound, no utterance of a name or even a slight gesture towards any direction of where he might have lived. Regina sighed, she didn't know if this boy was just naturally stubborn, or if he was still trying to get over whatever shock had been instilled into him from being lost in the mines.

"I'll tell you what, why don't we get out of here, and get you some ice cream?" Regina asked the boy, finally earning a wide ear-to-ear grin. Regina smiled and stood up tall once again, extending her arm out for him to grab and waved off the paramedics with her other arm, allowing the boy to come to her. She wrapped her arm around his thin shoulders and hugged him to her in a protective manner as she walked past the group of people she didn't even bother to look at, only stopping when she got to Robert.

"Henry said his name is Mason, I need you to find out who his parents are and then what kind of parents they are. If I were a parent and my child had gone missing, there wouldn't be anything able to keep me from him." Regina said to Robert, almost like it was his fault that the boy's parents weren't there.

"He doesn't have any." A voice from the slowly dissipating crowd came. David Nolan pushed his way through the crowd and crossed the yellow line, making Regina wonder why they had even bothered to put up the caution tape in the first place, but it was clear that David didn't care and didn't stop until he was with Robert, Mason and Regina. "He doesn't have any." David repeated, looking mainly at Regina before looking down at the boy.

"I've been watching him for a while now. Every day after school he comes to the pet shelter, where I work and he plays with the dogs. At first I didn't mind but he started staying later and later. One day I followed him home, it was dark and started to rain. He led me right to a small barn just inside the forest. I've been donating a fraction of my income to the school to make sure he got something to eat and nice clean clothes, but I've never seen any parents." David went on to explain. Regina's eyes narrowed at David, the vein in her forehead becoming prominent in her anger.

"And you didn't think to report this?" She asked him coldly, seeming to hug the boy to her even closer. David shook his head no, looking down at the dirt beneath his feet in shame.

"I didn't know what else to do, I thought that if I did, you might...you might-"

Regina shook her head and held up her hand, dismissing David altogether.

"Robert, escort Mr. Nolan back to the animal shelter...where he belongs." Regina said to Robert without even so much as looking at him and shooting an icy gaze towards David. "We're done here, and see to it that this place is completely cemented over _immediately_!"

Regina then moved with Mason to head away from the mines, stopping at what looked like an actual split in the earth created from the earthquake. Regina looked to her hand that wasn't around Mason and opened up her palm, looking at the crystalized glass shard that she had picked up earlier and dropped it into the narrow chasm where it fell down deep into the mines, landing deep below at last on the remains of a shattered, glass coffin.

Robert motioned for David to come with him, and they walked back to his patrol car.

"I'll give the school principal a call and have him check out Mason's paperwork, I want to get to the bottom of this." Robert said to David. David in turn put a strong hand on Robert's shoulder and looked upon him with sincerity.

"Thank you." He said and walked away from the scene, sparing Robert the trouble of having to give him a ride. With that finished, Robert got out his phone to make some calls, mostly to the school and to the local cement company.

XXX

Ruby gave Pongo a quick pat on the rear and watched the Dalmatian run off towards Dr. Hopper, happy to be reunited with his master once again. Unable to hide her smile, Ruby couldn't help but to feel just a bit proud of what she had managed to accomplish today despite running on only a couple hours of sleep.

After she had left Knox's place the night prior, she had gone to the Toll Bridge on the outskirts of Storybrooke; a place she often went to whenever she and Granny would get into the _really_ large fights. She spent hours there, and last night was no different except, this time, she didn't have a place to go back to when she had finished cooling off.

What Knox did last night...before they had parted ways...there was no going about it, he had kissed her; angry or not it was still a kiss and she could still feel it tingling at the tips of her lips. She hadn't planned on seeing Knox at all today, but with the unfolding of events for the morning, there was just no way around it. She did what she could to push everything aside, for the boy and the dog, but now...now what else was there?

Ruby turned, adjusting her red-knit beret and spotted Knox climbing out of the mines, her bright smile turning to a soft one of relief. He looked pretty damn bad for wear, but he was alright. Stupid. But alright. She closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply. She knew what she had to do.

She quietly made her way over to Knox and put a gentle hand on his arm.

"You look like hell." She observed out loud.

The security guard gave Ruby a sharp look as a line of blood dripped down his face.

"I feel fine." Pausing, Knox looked down at his shirt and noticed the contrast of the original robin egg blue and the crimson of his blood. "My shirt's been torn in two places, but it's easily replaceable...quite unlike life, which is especially precious." His eyes flicked over to the saved young Mason, who he remembered drew away from him in horror...this seemed to just remind him of the minor pain, and Knox winced slightly wondering if it had been the state of blood that made the boy shy away, or something else entirely…

Ruby breathed a quiet laugh out of her nose, looking over her shoulder to see Regina taking Mason away from the paramedics.

"C'mon, a spot's just opened up. Let's get you checked out."

Unlike Knox, Ruby was completely unscathed. Aside from being covered in a bit of mine-dust, she looked the exact same as she did before she had gone in.

Opening his mouth as if to protest, Knox thought better of it. Instead, the man fell silent, wordlessly making his way directly to the paramedics. Even though he had been the only one injured, he was strangely satisfied. Ruby had proved him wrong quite noticeably with her lack of injury. Everyone was safe, and that was good enough for him...in the mines; in the cramped space; at the time he may have thought he did...but Knox really didn't regret his decision to go on in as a safeguard.

Dr. Whale didn't look too shocked at Knox's state, more peeved by the mess his small head injury was creating, he knew the wound wasn't a big deal to fuss about. His eyes narrowed as he began cleaning the wound, but otherwise, Knox was just sitting and letting him do the work. Removing his gloves as his head wound was being bandaged; Knox could feel them heavy and a little damp with his blood absorbed into the material.

Ruby stuck close by, but opted to not watch. Something about the bloody mess on Knox...it was just unsettling and made her stomach churn, reminding her why she never liked watching horror movies. Letting out a sigh, he continued to lean back a little for the paramedic, tossing the gloves to the side. When the attending paramedic was done, he scooted back into the back of ambulance, laid back, and closed his eyes.

After he was cleaned up, Ruby moved herself so that she was standing in front of him while he was still lying in the back of the ambulance, not having quite been given the word that he could go yet. She cleared her throat loudly, attempting to draw his attention back to her.

Eyes fluttering open, Knox let out a groan as he sat up again, rubbing his bandaged head lightly with the back of his hand.

"What is it...?" Their eyes met, and everything that happened last night returned to him, but he ignored the urge to cringe at the memory. He'd meet all that head on, and then recoil when she finally gave him a piece of her mind. He couldn't very well blame being drunk yesterday, because he really wasn't despite the two beers he had drank in an incredibly short amount of time.

Looking into his eyes and feeling her throat go dry, Ruby refused back down now. Words had to be said, and she didn't think that putting it off would be at all very good.

"I wanted to apologize." She said, somehow managing to keep her chin held high and not break their eye contact. "You were right, I was running away; from my problems, from my feelings...everything." She continued to stare at him, feeling her heart hammering in her throat so hard that it made her ears ring. Only half a second passed after those words, but it felt like an eternity to her. "Please say something." She almost whined in a slight pout.

That apology...blinking a few times as he stared over at Ruby, he was sure this wasn't a hallucination. This would make things much more difficult, not anticipating an apology. Shaking his head, and making himself a little dizzy, he leaned forward to stare closer into Ruby's eyes.

"Don't apologize, I'm much worse with my feelings than you are." Reaching to cup her chin, Knox pulled her into yet another kiss.

As if Ruby's heart could beat any harder. But this time, this time she kissed back, letting her eyelids flutter closed and the increased ringing in her reddening ears blocked out all the other unwanted noise. She felt her arms raise and drape loosely around his neck and rested them there as she slowly pulled away, not because she wanted to but because she needed to breathe.

It was different. _So_ different than kissing anyone else she had ever kissed before. No one else made her ears ring and turn red, no one else made her heart threaten to jump out of her throat and no one else made her feel...appreciated. She wouldn't call it love, because she didn't know what being loved felt like, but if she got her way and picked out what it should feel like, this was it.

Continuing to sit up, Knox let out a small laugh when he saw how red her ears had gotten…what a predicament he had dove straight into, but a rare smile curled on his lips.

"Go home, Ruby." Saying this simply, the security guard glanced back at his gloves, rubbing the back of his hand over a leftover smear of blood as his smile slowly faded. "I'm sure news of the rescue has spread like wildfire, your grandmother will need to see that you are unharmed…_in person._"

Ruby nodded, but only just, her head swimming in what felt like fuzz but his words got across to her easy enough. She had planned on poking around Granny's sometime today, preferably when it wasn't so busy but with everything that had just happened...

Giving her expectant look, again Knox raised Ruby's chin and stared into her eyes.

"This week is going to be hectic, but I will see you at the diner in the mornings…right?" It was almost a stern tone he was speaking in, when he asked her this.

"If Granny will have me back." Ruby answered him, letting her arms untangle from their light hold around his neck and let her hand rest softly on his as he held her chin to look at her. "Thank you." She added and stretched her neck out to kiss the side of his head that wasn't bandaged up before (regretfully) pulling away from him and disappeared into the crowd of onlookers who were still quite curious about the mines.

Watching her disappear into the crowd of people and staring into space long after she was gone...Knox let out yet another long sigh. The man didn't know what sort of expression he had on his face right this moment, but shaking his head and slowly dropping his head into his hands...

Why...what did he just do...?

XXX

The tiny bell of Granny's diner gave a small jingle and the older woman found herself looking up from behind the counter to find her granddaughter walking through the door. The first thing Granny noticed was the drastic change of clothes, and the humbled smile Ruby gave the woman as she approached the counter tentatively.

"You look good." Granny grumbled to Ruby, hard to understand and under her breath but Ruby heard her clear as day.

"Thanks." Ruby approached the counter and let her hands rest on its edges, looking away from Granny and clicking her tongue a bit to gather up the courage to say something else.

"Did you want something for the Mayor? I heard about what happened at the mines."

"Nope." Ruby let the word slip from her mouth and she winced slightly, wishing it might have come out a bit softer. Granny slammed the cashier box closed and grimaced, exhaling a sharp noise of pain as her hand shot to her arm and rubbed just below her elbow. The old woman's sleeves were rolled up today, four long, deep scars running around her left forearm causing Ruby to remember the incident Granny had told her about getting into when Granny was a small girl.

"How's your arm?" Ruby tried.

"Same as it always is every full moon." Granny replied, rubbing at the skin a bit more before busying herself with wiping down the counter. "What are you doing here Ruby?" Granny then asked inquisitively. "Come here to tell me that you're finally moving to Boston?"

Ruby opened her mouth, offended at first but then eased her mouth back shut. She couldn't blame Granny, not really. Not with how things had ended between them yesterday.

"I...wanna come back." She said instead, offering a tentative (if not awkward) smile. Granny glanced up from wiping the counter down, her grey eyebrows rising above her glasses.

"Why? You were pretty mad..." Granny said and began to scrub down the counter again.

"I wasn't mad." Ruby said keeping her voice calm.

"Looked like mad from here." Granny grumbled.

"Yeah; here's the thing..." Ruby paused to tuck a strand of her brown hair behind her ear. "...you were talking about having me do all this stuff and I wasn't sure - I said that, you wanted me to turn into you but, what I meant was...I don't know _how_ to be you."

Granny looked back up at Ruby, her face ungiving to any sort of expression that would allow Ruby to know what she might have been thinking.

"You're a tough act to follow." Ruby added on with a soft smile.

"Oh." Granny seemed to sigh, just a bit, and look back down at the counter, but Ruby kept going.

"And then you wanted me to take on all this...extra responsibility and I...guess I just...got...scared..."

"Don't be. You shouldn't be." Granny pulled a small folder from behind the counter and set it on the top, only once it had been set down did she look back up at her granddaughter.

"Well I am..." Ruby replied honestly. "...but, its okay. I...can do it anyway." Ruby nodded, not sure if she was towards herself now, or Granny. "I...sort of found someone within myself that was more than I expected."

"What about adventure? What about your night life?" Granny asked, not in a scolding tone, but of genuine curiosity.

"The mines..._that_ was my adventure. Did that, found out that I _could_ do that and also that...I don't want to. I don't want a job just anywhere, where I might not be happy. I want to something that makes me happy, somewhere I love."

Granny looked upon Ruby in a way that Ruby almost thought was thoughtful.

"Look, just so you know, I wanted you to do the books and everything so that you could take over when I retire; own the whole place."

Ruby's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and repeated Granny's words.

"Own it?"

"Sure! I mean, who else would I give it to than someone who loves me back?"

Ruby felt hot tears coming to her eyes and her lower lip quivered just a bit. She couldn't stop herself from walking around the counter quickly and throwing her arms around Granny in a tight hug, nearly breaking down again when she felt the old woman's arms hugging her back in return. When they parted, Granny looked upon Ruby in a way that Ruby had never seen Granny look at her before.

"I'm proud of you." Granny said moving away from Ruby to busy her hands with something else behind the counter.

"What was that?" Ruby asked, feeling a light laugh tickle at her throat.

"You heard me."

Ruby just smiled and looked about the diner. It wasn't too busy now, but that didn't mean it wouldn't get busy later. She grabbed an apron from behind the counter and tied it on and went to go check on the customers who were there.

**Author's Note:**

**Well that was quite a bit of stuff to cram into one chapter, but at least now things are progressing in Storybrooke :) Yeah, I stole that last scene from the show, but now it's under new context so at least there's that right? :D Hope you enjoyed the faster paced action of this chapter, there surely will be more to follow. The next chapter will be dealing with tying up some more lose ends, a bit more character development and of course, much more awkwardness. **


	11. Chapter 11: Lunch Rush

**Author's Note:**

**A bit of a shorter chapter today, but still just as necessary as any of the others. We have more character development, a bit of fluff, and a tinge of drama there at the end. Happy reading! I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. Don't be afraid to ask if you have any questions!**

Mark sat in the corner booth at Granny's, crouched over his steaming cup of coffee - as if he was trying to make himself invisible. He could tell enough from the small-talk that roamed the diner that Knox, Ruby, and himself were considered 'town heroes'; and Mark couldn't have hated it more. He was never one for being in the spotlight, for as long as he could remember. He had simply been doing his job - and it shocked people to a point of reverence. At this, Mark couldn't help but sneer; who _wouldn't_ have gone after Mason in the mines?

As he lifted his mug to take another drink, he couldn't help but ponder on the boy's name - _Mason_...it sounded so familiar to him: yet he never knew anyone of personal significance named Mason. So then, why would this one boy give him an almost painful sense of nostalgia and dysphoria? He would have continued this thoughtful reverie, when suddenly, Leroy plopped down on the other side of the booth, holding his own mug of coffee in hand.

"You look down, Tin Man. Why aren't you celebrating with everyone else?" The janitor asked with a hint of sincerity to his voice.

"No need to." Mark replied simply. Suddenly, his eyes shot up to lock onto Leroy's. "Tin Man? That what they're calling me now?" He asked, his tone holding a mixture of both amusement and melancholy at the same time. At this, Leroy held both hands in the air, as if warding off suspicion.

"Hey, it wasn't me who started it; talk to your pals at the fire station." He answered innocently enough, though Mark was more than certain that Leroy had something to do with the naming. Mark decided to drop the subject, and switch back over to the earthquake.

"Why is everyone celebrating? We just rescued a boy that was trapped; it was my job to do so."

"Yeah, but _you_ did it. Along with the town skank and Captain Dismal. You saved a kid, whether it was your job or not. So quit being an asshole, and suck it up for the rest of the town." Leroy admonished, but with more sternness to his tone instead of outright anger. Leroy clapped Mark's shoulder firmly with a sharp nod before getting up from the booth, standing by the table for a few moments after. "Oh, hey, I'd be careful around the newcomer..."

"And why is that?" Mark asked, sounding somewhat tired.

"Rumor has it he's The Mayor's new pet." The short man began with an almost dark smile hidden behind his bushy beard before continuing, "I saw him come out of her house this morning, but never go in. Which means he's either sleeping with her, or-"

"-came in through the back door? The Mayor _hates_ newcomers." Mark interrupted impatiently, apparently trying to blast holes through his friend's theory. Leroy seemed to fumble for a response, his eyebrows furrowing at Mark.

"Well, yeah, but..." He exhaled deeply. "Just keep an eye out, alright? Be seein' ya Tin Man." And with that, the janitor left the diner, leaving a very confused Mark at the booth.

XXX

_"Kinda surprised she forgot her phone, figured a girl like that would have her phone beside her 24/7."_ Jake Frostburn thought to himself as he pulled up into Granny's. He was met with the sight of a rather busy, lunch-rush establishment.

"And I picked a good time to bring it back." He said finishing his thought vocally with a sigh. People were continuously walking in and out of the restaurant as he reached the door. With a couple of "excuse me's" he made it in.

"_Might as well grab a bite to eat."_

Jake looked for an open seat, but his search came to no avail. He did however, see a man sitting in a booth by himself.

"What the hell?" he mumbled to know one in particular with a casual shrug of his shoulders. Jake made his way to the booth and slunk into the side opposite the man. "Hey, sorry buddy. Hope you don't mind, there weren't any open seats." Jake quickly looked over his booth-mate, a rather short fellow and broad-shouldered. Well-toned and tanned, easily recognizable as one of the town's firefighters. "Mark, right?"

Mark looked up to see the bartender, Jake, sit down across from him.

"Yes, nice to meet you." He replied, though he sounded anything but pleased to meet the man across from him. "Place is crowded - too crowded." He observed in an almost sullen manner, veiling it with indifference. He reached into the interior pocket of his jacket, removing a pill bottle from it. Without even bothering to look again at Jake, he opened the bottle and dabbled out two round pills into his hand; promptly downing them with a sip of his iced tea, clearing his throat as he closed and put the bottle back in his coat, eyes landing again on Jake. "Something catch your eye?" He asked in an _almost_ suspicious manner.

"Nah, not really. Though the waitress here is rather cute." Jake said, hinting towards Ruby who was so busy with the full house of customers, she hadn't even noticed him walk in.

"She's not worth it." Mark replied bluntly to Jake's observation at Ruby's attractiveness, the former obviously not enticed by her appearance.

"You know, you're right, this place _is _too crowded. I bet they're breaking fire code." Jake replied, ignoring the older man's opinion on his favorite waitress. A second waitress came up to their table, taking his order for drink, a simple coke.

"Fire code is nothing to make jokes about, Mr. Frostburn-" Mark began seriously, though his tone was almost conversational and informative. "-Have you ever had an entire building full of people trying to get out, only to have them clamber over each other in a panic and burn alive?" Jake knew Mark was being very serious with that comment, but he wasn't about to let Mark bring him down.

"No I haven't, and I hope I don't have to. And I'm sorry if you ever did. However, neither of us are working right now, and can try to forget about all the stuff that keeps us awake at night. So…what are you having for lunch, friend?" Jake asked while grabbing the menu, "I'm not too sure what I'm in the mood for."

"I'm having the hamburger." Mark replied dryly, wondering why on earth that bit of information was important to the bar tender sitting across from him.

"You said the burger? Hmm, sounds good enough to me. Guess I'll have the same." The waitress returned with Jake's drink and grabbed their orders. "Excuse me miss, if you can, tell Ruby that I've got something of hers. The name's Jake by the way." The waitress gave a quick nod and set about her business. "So Mark, how _are _you doing on this fine-feathered day?":

"Fine. Had to rescue a...boy from the mines." Mark said, his tone almost going soft at the mention of Mason. "The child was unharmed - just frightened. He..._needed_ someone." Mark added in an almost confused tone, scratching the back of his head. "I think The Mayor has him now..."

"Hmm, not sure if that's a blessing or curse. . . The Mayor having him I mean." Jake added. "Yeah, I heard about the mine's. Some tough shit, man. Glad you and the kid made it. I guess now you don't have to worry about him…I think. But enough about work. Like I said, we're at lunch, one of the only times we don't have to worry about it. There anything else going on? Catch the game last weekend, played the next shooter…get laid?"

"Hmm." Mark noised thoughtfully, his tone almost becoming affable as he spoke, _almost_. "I had to take Grip to the veterinarian to get his check-up and shots, then I had to pick up a few groceries from the store - including a new prescription of OxyContin, then..." He stopped suddenly, as if thinking deeply for a moment before continuing, "I saw Mr. Gold in the forests on my way back from a camping trip." He added, his tone turning irritable once again.

"Hmm, interesting, "Jake said, though he was lying. "Mr. Gold huh? I wonder what that guy would want out in the middle of nowhere." Jake took a sip from his drink before continuing, "So what kind of dog do you have?"

"_Jesus Ruby, where the hell are you? Save me from this tortuous boredom!" _

Mark took a moment to take another drink from his iced tea.

"Grip's a German Shepherd...had him as long as I can remember. Probably my best friend." Mark added with what could be _deciphered_ as a smile, but on Mark looked...quite frightening. "Tell me, Mr. Frostburn? Do you like dogs?" He asked, his tone almost interrogative and accusational.

"Sure, though to be honest, I can't remember the last time I had one. I think my parents said it was too much responsibility or something like that. I guess I could always get one, but I just don't have the time to take care of him. And you can call me Jake by the way, I'm not _that _old."

Ruby quickly arrived at the table with a refill for Mark's iced tea that he hadn't even asked for. One could say that she must have been observant, but one look at her would say otherwise. Chest heaving just slightly underneath her new wardrobe of clothes that _didn't_ sell her out; the lack of lipstick and _heavy_ eyeliner and short shorts, an apron actually doing its job rather than being put on as a fashion statement…Ruby looked like a real waitress, her hair in tangled knots in various places to prove to the fact that today had indeed been very busy.

"Here you go Mark, no charge. It's gonna be a bit on those burgers boys, sorry." She said, shooing the both of them an apologetic look before looking to Jake specifically. "Ashley said you had something for me?" She asked, blinking a few times to keep her tired eyelids open. She couldn't even remember the fact that he still had her cellphone.

Mark looked up as Ruby attended the table, a look of genuine shock on his face at her radical change of appearance and disposition. "Oh, why, thank you." He said sincerely, if not gratefully; his surprised expression turning to one of impressed acceptance.

Jake gave Ruby a "Thank Christ, you're here" look.

"Hey Ruby, and yes I do." Jake quickly pulled out her phone from his pocket and placed it on the table, "You left this in my car when I dropped you off. Figured it would be a good idea if I returned it. Don't worry, I didn't go looking through it or anything. All your little secrets are still safe. And it's alright about those burgers, Mark and I are having a _lavishing _conversation, ain't that right, buddy?"

"I wouldn't call it lavishing." He remarked bluntly, his face dropping to stone once again at the word 'buddy', but not rudely - simply stating it how it was as he took another drink of his tea, wincing sharply as he felt a sudden pain in his shoulder, forced to take one more pill from his coat pocket before looking somewhat normal again.

Ruby beamed, taking the phone from Jake with a very quick 'thank you' and pocketed it into her jean pants. Usually, she would have opted to stick around and chat, pretending to be a third person to their lunch-date rather than a waitress but the bell from the front door chimed again, and Ruby watched as four more people squeezed their way in.

"Sorry, I'll be right back with those burgers." She said, putting her hand on Jake's shoulder and giving him a small, reassuring squeeze before hustling over to clean off a small table, hoping she could squeeze four people there.

"Thanks, Ruby." Jake said as she walked away. "And nonsense, my good fellow. Talks of canines, pills, and old men in the woods is quite riveting!" Jake replied to Mark with unscrupulous amount of sarcasm. Jake turned serious, however, soon after. "Look man, I'll be honest, you're drier than a nun's vag in the desert. Whatever made you that way, I'm sorry, but you gotta do something about it. Tell you what, the next time you have a night off, hit me up. You need a good night of fun."

Mark exhaled deeply and began to chuckle, not a friendly, amused chuckle - but one that almost bade a warning.

"And I'm going to be honest with you-" he leaned in slowly, "I. Don't. Like. People. Especially jumped-up punks like you who think you can change me because I'm "uncool", or, as you so put, "dry". I came here to grab lunch and leave, not converse. Are we clear?" He finished, his eyes narrowed coldly.

"And I came here to drop off a phone. If I insulted you, I'm sorry, but somebody had to tell you the truth. You're also a fireman for Christ's sake. If you didn't like people, you would be shut in your house all day playing video games and eating chips. Not very many people have the balls, courage, and intestinal fortitude to do your job on a daily basis. All I'm saying is that you need to balance your life out a little. Have a little bit of fun, meet folks…have a LIFE. Don't just wake up and do the same routine day-in and day-out." Jake took a deep breath before finishing, "However, whatever I say doesn't mean you have to do it, or are even gonna do it. You're a grown-ass man that knows himself. I'm just trying to help a fellow out is all."

Mark sighed again, seeming to calm down slightly.

"For as long as I can remember, I've been alone - and I'm alright with that. I don't need anything else. So thank you for your offer - but no." He repeated, this time sounding more level-headed and neutral. "I apologize for my behavior, Mr. Frostburn." He started again suddenly, ignoring Jake's plea to use his first name. "My...shoulder's been bothering me especially more today, it grants negative implications on my behavior." He finished in a tone that was sincere, if not collected and barely emotional.

Jake sighed himself.

"If that's your stance then so be it, I won't try to push the envelope, just remember the offer will always stand." Jake looked at his watch, before returning his gaze to Mark, "Look can you apologize to the waitress for me? I gotta run and won't be able to eat lunch." Jake stood up from the booth, pulled out a twenty dollar bill and placed it on the table. "Consider your lunch paid. See it as an apology for _my _behavior." He took a couple of steps before turning around, "Oh, again, it's just Jake." With that, he pivoted back towards the exit and returned to his vehicle.

XXX

Faye had heard everything about the earthquake and the small rescue mission that took place, the news spreading like wildfire once the ambulance had returned to the hospital. When the earthquake had initially struck and everyone had gone out to see what was happening, she remained in the hospital, in case anyone was injured and needed medical attention. Now, their very own security guard was in the hospital, and after seeing his condition, a nurse rushed him to a room. Dr. Stevenson caught wind of the news and headed there to check on Knox.

Faye knocked on the door before she entered the room and she greeted politely and respectfully,

"Mr. Kowalski."

"Dr. Stevenson." Giving the doctor a respective nod, Knox raised a hand in greeting as she stepped into the room, before lowering it again after a few seconds. In all honesty, he had already become tired of people rushing around and/or asking after seeing him bleed.

Faye quickly looked over his wounds, most of which had already been bandaged up and on his head.

"How do you feel?" She couldn't help but to ask, knowing that he had already been bombarded with this same question countless times already.

The security guard shook his head dismissively and held the bloody towel back to his head, tighter to the larger wound.

"I have been fine for a while now…" Well…he was bleeding again, if that was anything to go by, but he felt alright. On the completely positive side to this, his new shirt hadn't gotten blood on it…yet.

"Last time I checked, bleeding is not the same as being fine." She observed outloud.

"I must have rewrapped the wound incorrectly, after cleaning up. Still, I believe a sec—third opinion would be good." Both the Knox and the attending paramedic had concluded that it was what it was; a bump and a bit of a deep cut...but one could never be too careful in these respects.

Faye smiled a bit and joked good naturedly as she walked over to him,

"Good thing you came here then." She removed the bloody towel from his grasp and looked over his head injury a bit closer. The tall security guard had to lean down quite a bit for the doctor to see and attend to his wound properly, but Dr. Stevenson's touch was gentler than the paramedic's, and for this he was grateful. "I heard about your rescue mission. I'm glad to hear that everyone's safe."

"The mission was a complete success. The boy Mason was frightened, but otherwise, unharmed. Ruby and the fireman left with little to no injury…" Trailing off towards the end, Knox almost groaned to himself, being injured like he did. "Tall men are not built for confined spaces."

Dr. Stevenson smiled, hiding a chuckle at how professional Knox sounded, even though he wasn't working as of now.

"Oh? Then what are tall men built for? Climbing up trees? Basketball?"

"Hmmm…tall men were made for hitting the tops of their head on doorways and low ceilings, apparently." Knox answered rather dryly, reaching up to having a slight feel of the injury. The security guard let out a hiss of pain, since his touch was blind and much too hard, before letting his hand drop to his side again. Pausing and thinking, adding on, "and wearing big clown shoes." His tone was deadpan serious, but his expression was more at ease.

"Don't touch that Knox!" She was quick to scold, however pressed on with their conversation." Still, Mason's family must be incredibly relieved…"

Knox didn't have the right to just throw around that sort of information to anyone, Dr. Stevenson wasn't Mason's doctor…raising his gaze, his eyes met hers.

"The boy is with the proper authorities at this present time." Holding her gaze as he spoke carefully, he eventually let it drop, closed his eyes entirely and let out his signature tired sigh.

Faye outwardly sighed through her nose, knowing what his response meant.

"Right. It's none of my business…" She said sounding apologetic that she had even brought it up to begin with, and decided to change the topic of conversation that had rose to the surface at his sigh. "Thinking about someone again?" She asked, though already knew the answer to where his thoughts currently drifted off to.

Besides the feelings of sympathy towards the boy without parents, Knox did think on his own father, and the small (yet selfish) fortune that the man was still alive today. And, on the other side of things...he did hold a certain waitress in his thoughts, as well as his growing impulsiveness…the kissing. Almost just holding his head in his hands, Knox instead settled with avoiding the doctor's eyes now, squinting (at what he perceived to be) the bright ceiling light.

"What is the verdict? How is my injury, from a professional standpoint?"

Dr. Stevenson finished bandaging his head and stepped away to give his personal space back.

"Your injury is going to heal, and you're not going to develop any infections any time soon. The rest of your cranium appears to be fine as well, no lasting damage from what I can see." Faye paused, looking his face over carefully for a moment before adding on, "However, you seem to be squinting a lot lately. How is your vision?"

Knox stiffened at her observation, but it was clear she didn't know the half of it. In careful measure; he knew denying it now would raise suspicion, so…running a hand through the un-bandaged portion of his long black hair, he gave her a look, before moving his hand down to rub the back of his neck.

"Yes, my squinting. I have been having trouble sleeping for some time, and so, my eyes seem to have become a little sensitive." Speaking calmly about this, nonchalant even, not much of a lie if at all…'Little', undermining the heavy and consistence light sensitivity he was suffering, "Do you need to examine them? Or…do you have an appropriate form of medication you can prescribe, instead?"

"I would have to examine your eyes, but it's not quite necessary, unless it's impeding on your life. For now, I can only suggest get proper rest and sleep when you can."

"If that is all…" Getting back onto his feet, no longer stuck in an uncomfortable leaning position, Knox let out an internal sigh of relief (and the smallest internal cheer). "I'll be heading back to work." Heading out the door, the security guard stood at the doorway for a few moments, before finally turning back to the doctor and giving her another curt nod. "Thank you for your time and expertise, Dr. Stevenson. You have been doing nothing but excellent work, and as usual...call the security office if anything comes up."

Dr. Stevenson watched Knox walk to the doorway. She nodded back and answered,

"Thank you, Mr. Kowalski. I'll be sure to call if anything does come up." After Knox had gone, she left the room to tend to the other patients, briefly looking at her watch to make sure that she had time to do so. She had an appointment with Dr. Hopper this afternoon after all.

XXX

Henry stepped through the glass doors of the hospital, letting the same sterile air hit him; permeating all his senses. Oh how he _hated_ hospitals. Nothing but pestilence and death to be found. Henry let his music player continue to blare in his ears as he entered the waiting room, unable to help his feet do a bit of rhythmic tapping. However, upon feeling the eyes of perplexed citizens on him, he muttered a quick apology and stopped his music.

He let his eyes wander to the receptionist's desk, noting the same crusty old woman who was there last time.

"Why hasn't she died yet?" Henry muttered under his breath, exasperated. He knew the woman (at least he thought she was a woman), wouldn't let him in past the waiting room - and he wasn't in the mood to sit through her yelling despite him being a full-fledged volunteer now, so he decided to wait - until she left her area at the desk, then he slunk through the double-doors like a shadow, grinning maniacally while doing so. Making sure the coast was clear, he walked at a normal pace, trying desperately to find Dr. Stevenson.

Dr. Stevenson walked quickly around a corner in the hospital's halls, only to end up bumping into a familiar figure. She backed away and quickly began to apologize.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, are you alright?" She then took a good look at who exactly she bumped into and realized the person was none other than Henry Carlyle. She greeted hesitantly and slightly embarrassed, "Oh, Mr. Carlyle! Hello,"

"Ello." Henry greeted with a wide grin, a particular glint in his eyes. "You're just who I've been looking for, doctor." He said in an almost giddy manner. "You know, wanted to chat and whatnot. Didn't see you at the mines this morning, poor shame. You missed the fireman chew out Ruby and Knox before they all went in." He said with a small chuckle.

Dr. Stevenson raised her eyebrows and sighed through her nose a bit. Well, she had to admit, it was sweet of him to come by just to chat, but then she was in the middle of working.

Oh, I've heard all about it though. Word travels fast here, Mr. Carlyle. I even treated Mr. Kowalski's injuries that he got from that rescue mission."

"Hmm...yes, he didn't look his best when emerging - quite the contrary." Henry added on, scratching his chin. "Listen, I've got about five minutes before security realizes I'm _not_ supposed to be in here and escorts me out of here, with or without a tazer in the process. So, I'll tell ya what; lunch at Granny's, you and me, I'll buy. Sound good?" He offered with an obviously flirty grin.

Dr. Stevenson smiled at the offer, and she answered as she checked her watch again taking note of the time.

"That sounds lovely. I'll see you at Granny's at 1 then?"

"Fantastic, it's a date! No - wait...not a date. A luncheon, yes, I like that word better."

Faye was unable to hide the grin on account of his stammering.

"Now, hurry out of here, before Mr. Kowalski comes and drags you out of the hospital. Stubborn man doesn't know how to take a day off."

Henry gave the good doctor a cheeky grin before turning on his heel and hastily walking out the door, putting on his headphones in the process.

Faye chuckled as she watched him leave before she went back to work. An hour later, she left the hospital and headed for Granny's diner where she figured that Henry would be waiting for her. She never really came to the diner very often, despite that it was a popular restaurant in Storybrooke. She entered the diner and looked around to see if Henry was there, or if she was early and had to wonder if she would even be able to find Henry amongst the throng of the lunch hour.

As if on cue, Henry walked in only a few moments after her; taking off his headphones.

"There you are! Glad we can be meeting under more...relaxed circumstances. I hope I didn't cause any ruckus in the hospital." He said with a sheepish smile.

"Roz was quite upset that someone snuck past her, but other than that, there wasn't much of a ruckus." She replied, relief clear on her face at him finding her in the crowded eatery.

"Well good, grumpy old windbag deserved it." He said cheekily, a mischievous glint in his eye. "But anyways, enough bantering about your less-than-savory co-workers. Let's grab a table, shall we? That one there, before anyone else takes it!" He offered cheerily.

Dr. Stevenson nodded, hiding a laugh at the mischief in his eyes.

"Of course." They quickly took the booth by the window, both making sure to greet Ruby politely with a quick wave as they seated themselves. "So, other than the recent earthquake, how do you like Storybrooke so far?" Faye asked, not sure what other means of conversation were appropriate for a lunch…outing…

"Oh, it's a nice enough little town. It's quaint, quiet peaceful - despite today's events. I quite like it." Henry leaned in to lower his voice. "People are a bit unfriendly it seems, though." He said with a small smirk, but his eyes were serious.

"That's unfortunate. I guess the people here really aren't used to having guests." Faye responded with an apologetic sigh. "Though, from what I've heard, Madam Mayor seems to like you a lot. Maybe the rest of Storybrooke will come to like you."

Henry seemed to shift uncomfortably in his seat at the mention of Regina, a sense of...guilt almost welling in him as he looked at her - not Dr. Stevenson, but Dr. _Jekyll_. He cleared his mind quickly in order to reply as quickly as possible.

"The Mayor's an...interesting woman. I wouldn't say we're 'friends'...but she hasn't tried to evict me yet." He said with a hollow smile, hoping Faye would let the topic go.

"I see." Faye said quietly, understanding the meaning in his tone. "Still...be careful. The Mayor is much more clever than she appears to be."

"Oh believe me, I know." Henry said with a knowing chuckle.

"So then, what do you do for a living?" Faye asked, leaving the previous topic well enough alone.

"Well, I was officially given the job of substitute English teacher at the elementary school. Mason - the boy in the mines, is in my class." He added cheerily, "It's a shame they don't know who his parents are..." he finished almost sadly.

Faye blinked. She had expected that he would have a job online or any other kind of job that would allow him to leave home for a prolonged period of time, but his words that followed kept her inquires at bay as Mason was then brought up.

"Maybe I could have a DNA test done in order to find his parents...but that would require Mason's guardians' permission…"

"Well, that'll certainly be interesting." Henry said in an amused manner, "David Nolan was, illegally, I believe, taking care of him while the school gave him food and clothes. Now Regina has him...a DNA test might be in order, if we can _find_ a guardian." He added with a small laugh.

"If Regina has him, then it means I would need Regina's permission." Faye dreaded the thought of asking The Mayor of such a request. She figured that the answer may be a resounding 'no'. She looked at the menu and switched topics once again.

"So...Henry, what do you suggest? I've never really dined here before…"

"Well, that's a good question!" Henry began with a happy grin, looking at his own menu. "I like to be spontaneous, try something new _every_ time, and note: the lasagna here's _quite_ overrated." He said, lowering his voice at that last sentence in order to avoid Granny's wrath. "I just order what I'm in the mood for, you'll never make a mistake here - well, unless you try and mix Coke with sweet tea...I tried that once; quite heinous indeed." He added absent-mindedly, eyes still locked onto his menu.

Faye smiled and chuckled.

"I'll be sure to keep all that in mind." After deciding on what to order silently, she asked Henry, "What are your hobbies? Your interests?"

"Well, I like playing the piano - pretty bloody good at it, too, if I may say so. I like to read...and talk to people, and also..." he leaned in once again. "…I'm a pretty good singer." He finished in an obviously flirtatious tone, offering a small wink to add emphasis.

A blush crept over the cheeks of the doctor, something about the hidden undertones in his voice causing her immediate reaction.

"Well, if that's the case, I'd be happy to hear you sing at least once. Me, I'm not so good when it comes to music." She wasn't used to flirting, and she felt so awkward when she responded. She looked subtly to see if a waitress was coming to take their order.

"Well, maybe you'll get the chance one day. I don't wear these headphones for show, you know." He said in a jokingly taunting manner. Deciding to have a bit of fun, he added, "You're so adorable when you're nervous. This...funny little look in your eyes, I love it." He grinned wider-than-usual, twiddling his thumbs.

Faye's blush reddened even deeper and tried to answer him to the best of her ability,

"Oh-Er-Th-Thank you." How was she supposed to respond to something like that? Was saying thank you the right way to answer? She cleared her throat, realizing that her co-workers were right when they said that she needed to get out more, and karma was now striking her back for her workaholic tendencies.

Suddenly, Faye couldn't help but hear a persistent ringing in her ears, and her mind started to cloud, slowly taking her away from reality.

_"No...Not here!"_

An arm seemed to come out of nowhere and placed a plate of hot onion rings between Henry and Faye, Ruby giving them both an apologetic smile.

Faye gasped, startled by Ruby's sudden appearance as though Faye just woke up from the sound of a loud door slam. She breathed a sigh of relief as Ruby spoke. Thank God for Ruby! If she hadn't come, who knows what kind of disaster her counterpart would've brought upon herself and the others?

"Lunch rush." The waitress said tucking her hair behind her ears, as if that would explain everything. "Onion rings are on me for not getting to you guys quicker. So...what can I get you? Before you say though, we're out of-" Ruby stopped to count on her fingers. "Ice cream, avocado's, cheese, bread and milk..." She gave them a sideways smile, understanding herself that practically meant everything Granny's had to offer. "We have sausages...and...onion rings...sorry..."

Faye swallowed thickly and she answered Ruby politely, "It's alright. I'll have the sausages. Thank you," She thought to herself about how Ruby had absolutely _no idea_ how grateful Faye was for Ruby's sudden appearance.

"Those are very specific restrictions!" Henry objected, his tone sounding more whiny than actually angry. "Oh, but very well. I'll just have...more onion rings, I guess, thank you. And your finest carbonated cola beverage!" He added in his usual friendly voice, taking off his glasses and rubbing the lens against his sleeve to clean them.

Ruby nodded once, committing the overly-simple orders to memory and then left the two to resume their conversation before she had interrupted.

"Are you alright, Faye?" Heny asked in concern, using her first name. He noted Faye's sudden disposition change, almost as though she was overcome with a terrible feeling or illness. He had to strongly resist the urge to put his hand atop hers.

_"She doesn't know you, Chesh. Doesn't know, doesn't know." _He repeated inwardly to himself, a small frown (an indeed rare expression) curving at his lips.

"Yes. Yes, I'm alright. I just had a dizzy spell is all." She took in a deep breath and drank from her water bottle. She looked at her watch and she asked in surprise "What? Is that the time already?" She quickly started gathering her things and she said "I'm terribly sorry Henry. But I have an appointment set, and I can't skip out on it. I enjoyed hanging out with you, and I hope we can meet up again. Thank you, Al-Henry..."

Henry forced a fond smile as she bade him farewell, "I enjoyed this too, doctor. Be seein' ya." He said warmly, waiting until she was well out of sight before letting his expression fall to one that could only be described as loneliness.

The doctor hurried out of Granny's, trying to make it seem like she was heading to the hospital, and not to a certain psychiatrist's office. As she walked she thought to herself,

"_What was that? I must've suttered...A simple slip of the tonge,_"

Henry slowly reached for the headphones wrapped around his neck, securing them over his ears before pressing 'Play'. He stayed just like that for a few minutes, not paying attention to anyone until a new objective entered his mind: he had to talk to Gold.

Paying the "lunch" bill, he quickly left the diner, and hastily made his way towards the pawn shop.

XXX

Faye reached the office without incident, much to her relief. She looked at the door with Dr. Hopper's name on it for a few moments, before raising her hand to knock. She hesitated as fear of what could happen crossed her mind. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts before she finally rapped on the door.

The door to his office opened moments after and Dr. Hopper gave Faye a reserved smile.

"Dr. Stevenson, please, come in." He held the door open for her, allowing her inside and then closed it after her. "Please have a seat." He said, gesturing to the small couch before heading over to the small file cabinet that held his patient files, however he only got halfway there before remembering he no longer had the files for Faye, and bit the inside of his cheek before turning back around and sitting across from the doctor. He would have to do this all from memory.

"Thank you, Dr. Hopper," Faye replied politely and took her seat on the couch, immediately noticing the lack of her file present as Dr. Hopper took his seat in his chair.

"So, how have things been for you since we last spoke...uh, a week ago was it? Yes, right. A week ago."

"It was a week ago." Faye nodded, her tone a little flat. "Dr. Hopper, shouldn't you have my file?" She then felt a sinking feeling in her stomach and she asked politely, "I'm assuming that the doctor-patient confidentiality aspect of these meetings are still in effect, right?"

Dr. Hopper gave Faye a similar look to that of a deer-in-the-headlight before he began stammering,

"What? Oh! Yes! Yes of course Dr. Stevenson!" He attempted to reassure her and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Your file? Uh, your file...well...with all that's happened with the earthquake and all...it's been, uh misplaced-but tell me, how have _you_ been doing? Any more...episodes?"

Faye gave Dr. Hopper a look that clearly showed that she knew that he was lying through his teeth and wasn't in the mood for his evasive games.

"Yes, there have been more episodes. Thankfully, nothing..._unfortunate_ happened in the past week as far as I know."

Archie felt his face getting red with the knowing look that Dr. Stevenson had given him, but felt himself able to breathe once again as she seemed to skip over the subject of her missing file.

"And the medication I've prescribed? How do you feel that's working for you?"

Dr. Stevenson shook her head, answering,

"It only works in bringing out my other persona sooner than she would normally appear."

Dr. Hopper nodded in succession, steepling his hands together.

"A negative reaction then, good. This is good! This means we know just a bit more about your condition than we did last week." He said, now using his talent of positive thinking to keep the situation from looking bleak. Only then did he relax himself just a bit, his back reclining into the back of the couch. "Dr. Stevenson, I need you to think back to your last...episode. What was going on in your head? What was happening in your mind? Any information you can give me may be useful and please, don't hold back."

Dr. Stevenson wasn't effected by Dr. Hopper's positive thinking. Every single medication she was prescribed in the past had the same effect. They were still at square 1. She thought back to her last episode...thankfully, she hadn't switched in Granny's, so that didn't count. The last time she had an episode was after diagnosing Mr. Gold...

"I was at the hospital, doing my job as I normally would. Then a certain patient came in..." She then added, "For the sake of Doctor-Patient Confidentiality, let's call this patient, Adrian Andrews," Her tone in that last statement had a discreet undertone that seemed to give the message "_Unlike you,_" to Dr. Hopper. She continued normally,

"Adrian Andrews was escorted into the hospital by Ruby and Mr. Kowalski because of what they described as a panic attack. I managed to convince Adrian into getting checked, and having diagnostic tests done. When I delivered them the result, they said they knew all along, and they refused to get treatment. I tried to convince them to get treatment, not only for their sake, but for their loved ones' sake as well. But...they have stubbornly made their point clear. After the patient left, I felt...angry. Enough to actually want to throw something or hurt someone. So I immediately headed home after that, however, I blacked out on my way back. When I woke up again, I found myself in my home at 4 pm the next day,"

"Dealing with stubborn patients is a normal occurrence in your field, Dr. Stevenson. What made this particular patients case cause you to get so angry?" Dr. Hopper asked, leaning forward a bit so that his elbows were now resting on his knees. "Anger is a very normal emotion, wanting to throw something or hurt someone while angry is not at all uncommon, and it all just depends on how you deal with it..." He added, silently asking if she might have done something once she had gotten home that she might have forgotten to mention.

"The patient...they don't have the common cold, or something minor like that. The patient has lung cancer. They are dying ever so slowly and painfully. The fact that I can't help them because they are stubborn...that's what made me angry," At least, that's what she thought made her angry. "Thankfully, from what I can tell, nothing unfortunate happened that night."

Archie couldn't help but to run over in his mind just who might fit that particular description of a patient, only coming up with a handful of different names which didn't particularly help narrow it down. But that wasn't his job, his job was to help Faye.

"So, you had a lapse of...let's say eighteen hours where you remember nothing?" He asked, repeating what she had told him prior. He took a moment to rub his temples, attempting to erase the slight headache of trying to solve this jigsaw puzzle, not at all in any sort of irritation towards Faye, however. "Last week, I brought up briefly of you carrying around a tape recorder, something that...your other persona and you might be able to communicate by. Have you looked into that at all?"

Faye remembered clearly, thanks to her eidetic memory, that he had brought up the tape recorder five years ago. "You did bring that up...five years ago. I already have one. The other persona and I did communicate with each other, but that was only to set up an agreement. After that, I'm the only one who speaks to her. She hasn't left a message on the tape recorder ever since."

Dr. Hopper rubbed his hand over his mouth in deep thought.

"Anger seemed to be a trigger in your last episode, but it's not enough to go on to say that is what is causing these blackouts..." He said out loud, more to himself that to her. "I want to try something, an exercise of the mind." Dr. Hopper extending his hand out towards the couch. "Would you mind lying down?"

Faye raised an eyebrow at Dr. Hopper's request, but she complied and lied down on the couch.

"I sincerely hope you are not thinking of trying to communicate with my other counterpart."

"Oh no, no no no no!" Dr. Hopper assured her, though he couldn't blame her, it did seem like that was what he was up to. "No, this is a small mind exercise to help me understand just a bit more about the anger that you went through the other night. Just close your eyes, and relax." He instructed, letting his voice become calm and soothing. "Just breathe, concentrate on your breath...good. Now I want you to begin to think...think, before your patient at the hospital, when the last time you got _that_ angry was..."

Faye followed Dr. Hopper's instructions, closing her eyes and concentrating on her breathing. She thought back to a time when she got that angry, and she saw a memory of being in the hospital trying to save a child's life.

"The last time I got that angry...It was after I tried to save a child's life. The child patient...died from an accident."

"Good." Archie commended her, not on the memory's context, but at being able to remember. He continued instructing her, having Faye fall into a sort of hypnotic state where Dr. Hopper knew that he could start getting some angers. This...alternate persona of Dr. Stevenson's had been around for as long as she could remember, which meant that Archie had to dive into her childhood for some answers.

"Let's go farther back. When was the first time you became so angry that you wanted to hurt someone?" He asked, looking like he was talking to someone sleeping on his couch. He just hoped he hadn't put her under too far...the memory was there, he just had to guide her to it.

Faye thought, trying to remember, but she only saw flashes of strange sceneries and heard only one familiar voice speak. She mumbled as she felt a headache grow in pain,

"My father...abandoned me..." Faye suddenly shouted in pain as both of her hands flew to her head, hearing another familiar voice speak eerily in her mind,

"_Not yet!_"

Her eyes flew open and the pain ceased. She looked at Hopper and commented dryly,

"That didn't work..."

Dr. Hopper looked upon Faye with an obvious look of worry on his face, glad that she had been able to wake herself up rather than him; it was more dangerous that way, risking damaging the memories.

"But we got something." He said softly, unsure whether or not to sound excited. "You mentioned your father, but to my recollection you were adopted at a very young age..." He paused, but went on to his point. "Your patient, the one that caused you to feel angry this last time, is he a younger man, or someone that has a fatherly sort of disposition?"

Faye thought about her answer, not sure if she should answer it at all, because the answer may allow Dr. Hopper to figure out who the patient was, and she would end up breaking her end of the small deal with Mr. Gold. She answered cautiously,

"He does have an...elderly disposition…"

Dr. Hopper nodded at once, able to rule out all the others he thought might match the description of her patient.

"Mr. Gold." He confirmed, though his voice was barely above a whisper causing Faye to wince at the sudden revelation. Archie sucked in a deep breath at the new information, mostly about how Mr. Gold was dying of lung cancer and didn't wish to go through treatment. That was something Archie could understand to get so angry about, Mr. Gold was an infuriating man. "Well, I think we've touched up on enough for today. Are there any questions you wish to ask me before we say goodbye?" He asked, his normal tone returning and becoming professional once more.

"Yes...there is another question I'd like to ask before I leave…who has my psychological file now?"

It was now Dr. Hopper's turn to wince, though he couldn't blame her. She was a sharp woman, a sharp woman with an eidetic memory; he knew she wouldn't have forgotten, he had only hoped.

"I didn't..._give_ it to her..." He started, wanting to make sure that Faye understood at once that it wasn't his fault. "But...you can't just say no to-"

"The Mayor." Faye finished in a cold tone. Dammit, what did her counterpart do that would cause Regina to want to get involved in all of this? "Dr. Hopper, The Mayor doesn't have the right to have my psychological files unless she has a warrant…"

"I-she-but-" There was no way that Dr. Hopper could finish any of those sentences, and instead found himself holding his head in his hands in embarrassment. "Your right, but she would have gotten a warrant anyway..." He mumbled a bit, unable to look at Faye. "I'm sure it's nothing bad, she'll probably return them this afternoon..."

Faye crossed her arms and retorted,

"I highly doubt that, this may be very bad news," She shook her head at Dr. Hopper, and said as she stood up, getting ready to leave.

"I-uh, of course, D-Dr. Stevenson. Today's session was not logged, no one will know." He assured her, attempting to get his professionalism back into his voice without much success. He continued to look at her, an almost pleading look in his already apologetic eyes. "I'm so, so sorry Dr. Stevenson, The Mayor...she's a very powerful woman..."

Dr. Stevenson nodded at his apology, but she continued sternly,

"Quite frankly, I don't care how powerful The Mayor is. You're a doctor! You have some power yourself! Do what you think is right, not what The Mayor says. She's a mayor, not a Queen." She then greeted politely and professionally, "I hope you have a nice day, Dr. Hopper. I'll see you next week."

Dr. Hopper had no reply, only shame continuing to rise at the truthfulness of the doctor's words. He waved a pitiful goodbye, and watched her leave his office.

**Author's Note:**

**Poor poor poor poor Archie :( I feel for the guy, I really do! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, though minimal action compared to the last chapter, character development is equally as important! Next chapter will have a bit more…edge to it, as Henry finally confronts Mr. Gold.**


	12. Chapter 12: Curiosity Killed the Cat

**Author's Note:**

**Okay okay! We're moving on with more 'relevant' stuff I promise! Haha. Opening this one up with a flashback from the show (I know, shocker) but it doesn't go on very long and a couple edits have been made in regards to Baelfire. The rest falls into place quite nicely afterwards. Enjoy! Also, dramas to be had!**

_Many, many years ago…_

_Pacing back and forth, The Dark One kicked up a pile of crunchy autumn leaves that littered the openness of a dead-end street, as if impatiently waiting for something…or someone. He had spent only just a few weeks with the new title, trying to understand what being The Dark One really meant, and how he was to control all this new, frightening power._

_One thing was certain, however. His wardrobe of the filthy rags and patches barely afforded by being the village spinner were now long and gone, and in its wake a new sense of style that Rumpelstiltskin found to make him feel more threatening, more imposing; not at all the look of the village coward he had branded himself with since returning from the Ogre Wars._

_He wore a reddish/gold silk shirt, on top of that a tight-fitting black, dragon-hide leather vest that extended into black leather sleeves. Even more tight-fitting were the brown leather pants he wore, and then the black boots to tie the outfit all-together. That was all hidden though, a blood red cloak covering his entire body with the wide hood draped so far over him that the shadows of the night couldn't even do their job as to hide his face._

_Certainly anything would be an upgrade from those rags he previously wore, but there was still something a little bit more satisfactory about the fact that he had procured these new clothes by magic himself, and it made everyone in the village see him differently, like a wolf ready to pounce and tear their throats out. The look of The Dark One._

_It wasn't a wild assumption since his anger was on that very verge every day since Milah and Baelfire had been stolen from him. He was almost always angry, except for the times when grief overcame him whole-heartedly and locked himself away in his home, crying into the corners of the empty house. But those days were long gone; not a single tear dropped since he plunged the dagger into the chest of The Dark One. Now all that was left was anger and a father's determination to find his wife and daughter, wanting nothing more than to bring them back home and split the pirate in two that had taken them from him._

_He was there for one reason and one reason only. A pirate's ship had made port at the docks not an hour ago, and Rumpelstiltskin was waiting. Finally, after what seemed like hours, there was a loud uproar of drunken laughter, and Rumpelstiltskin knew he had his man._

_As the pirates paraded down the slick cobblestone streets, Rumpelstiltskin made a point to hunch himself over, with the added look of the dark red cloak, he could have easily been mistaken as a beggar. He clumsily walked past Killian Jones, the pirate captain that had called him a coward and refused to give back his family and bumped into him._

_Rumpelstiltskin could practically taste the blood of this man on his cracked lips in his eagerness._

_"You!" Killian shouted at the man he proposed was a beggar. "Stop!"_

_Rumpelstiltskin obliged, stopping in his tracks with his hunched over back facing the pirate, the need to grin tugging at his cheeks._

_"Even gutter-rats have more manners than what you just displayed."_

_Rumpelstiltskin took his time in turning so that he was profile to the pirate band, the side of his green and gold-flecked skin catching the light of a nearby lamp post._

_"I-I-I'm so sorry sir." Rumpelstiltskin purposefully stammered._

_Killian snickered, taking in the small amount of appearance of the man in front of him to be strange, ugly, and in need of poking fun at._

_"Ah, I was wrong…" Killian started, taking a few steps towards the beggar. "…not a rat at all. More…more…more like a crocodile!" He exclaimed, turning to his crew to see that they were all in agreement with their drunken laughter. Killian then took one step further and swatted his hand at the beggar, causing the tin cup of coins in his hand to clatter to the ground in a tinkering mess._

_Rumpelstiltskin immediately hunched himself over onto his hands in knees, acting as a beggar would if his tin cup of money had been swatted to the ground. He had no need for this money of course, it was all an act to fulfill his revenge._

_"What's your name-" Killian asked, putting the bottom of his boot on Rumpelstiltskin's back and kicked him over harshly. "-crocodile?"_

_Rumpelstiltskin fell over, acting the part of a feeble old man as he clamored to get himself back up but was unable to suppress a high-pitched giggle by the time he got back onto his feet. He heard the pirates' laughter diminishing, no doubt confused of the laugh that just came from the old beggar, and Rumpelstiltskin pushed the hood of his cloak back so that it was resting back on his thin shoulders, revealing his face to the band of pirates._

_Killian kept his smile and raised a finger, pointing to Rumpelstiltskin._

_"You…I remember you…"_

_"Always nice to make an impression." Rumpelstiltskin replied, flipping one of the coins he had managed to grab from the floor onto Killian's chest in a slight taunt. Killian looked to the coin with dark eyes, and then looked back to Rumpelstiltskin who had just put his hand over his heart._

_"Where are my manners? We haven't been properly introduced." Rumpelstiltskin removed his hand from his heart and extended both arms out wide, almost looking like he were expecting a hug if it hadn't been that he lowered his torso and bent his legs into a deep bow._

_"R-r-r-r-rumpelstiltskin!" He said, letting the 'r' roll off of his tongue while still keeping his head down in the low bow but then he looked up, keeping his body bent and looking up at the pirate with the tops of his eyes and his brows stitched together in a glare. "Or as others know me…The Dark One…"_

_This seemed to get a reaction from the pirates, no matter how drunk the ones behind Killian were. Each took a few steps backwards, looking between themselves in horror as if silently trying to confirm with the other what they had just heard. Killian, however, didn't move, but Rumpelstiltskin could see a bit of color drain from his face. Rumpelstiltskin took it a step further, coming out of his bow and stepping to Killian's side, making a sort of 'boo' sound at the pirates that were behind him and smiled in amusement as they scattered like rats._

_"I see my reputation precedes me." Rumpelstiltskin went on, now walking behind Killian directly, not exactly surprised that the pirate captain didn't turn to face him._

_"It does." Killian replied, all hints of the amusement he had held pushing the old beggar around now completely gone._

_"Good!" Rumpelstiltskin squeaked. "That's going to save us time during the-" He paused to change the quip in his voice, sounding now like an immature child. "-question and answer portion of our game!" He was directly behind Killian now, facing the pirate captain's back. He was so close, that Rumpelstiltskin could easily reach out and touch him, but he refrained, wanting his close encounter with the pirate to make his skin crawl instead._

_Killian dared to crane his neck to look over at his shoulder at The Dark One, finding the ill-skinned man smiling broadly back at him with his two pointer fingers pointing up to the air._

_"What is it you want to know?" Killian asked, slowly finding himself to turn to face the crocodile._

_"How's Milah, and Baelfire, of course?" His tone had changed again, that to what could almost be considered a normal tone for a male, however coming from The Dark One, it dripped of darkness and anger._

_Killian bit at his lower lip, in thought for a moment before shaking his head no slightly a few times._

_"Who?" He asked, and then couldn't help but to flash his white smile at the man. Rumpelstiltskin mockingly giggled at Killian, and started to circle him again._

_"Only too happy to uh, __**dig out**__ the memory-" He said, gesturing with his thumb like it were a spade in a garden. "-but, it gets reeeeealy messy." He turned to face Killian again, having come full circle and now able to see the crew hiding (at a great distance) behind their captain.  
>Killian looked down, not because he was afraid to look back at The Dark One, but because something perplexed him.<em>

_"They're dead." He said suddenly, and Rumpelstiltskin immediately felt his heart jump into his throat and catch on fire at the same time. "Died a long time ago. Baelfire fell overboard during a storm, and Milah went in after her."_

_Rumpelstiltskin's face matched the sorrow that Killian had on his own, and there was a slight silence between the two of them before Killian spoke once more._

_"What is it that you want?" He asked calmly and quietly, still giving respect to the spoken departed._

_Rumpelstiltskin took a moment to answer, but when he did, his voice sounded very normal, not like The Dark One, but of Rumpelstiltskin, the spinner._

_"We never got a chance to finish our duel." He reminded the pirate. The duel of course that Killian challenged him to when Rumpelstiltskin had heard that Milah and Baelfire had been taken aboard his ship, the duel that would have released them from his holds, but also the duel that would surely end his life with his inexperience of fighting pirates._

_Killian's hand immediately shot to his hip where he kept his sword, and Rumpelstiltskin could hear the grinding of metal on sheaths from the rest of the pirate band behind him. He simply held up a hand, signaling them to stop with a quick "Ah!" from his throat._

_"Not now…" He explained, and the sadness that had taken over him physically washed away as Rumpelstiltskin put on a showy display with his arms, an Italian flourish. "...tomorrow at dawn!" His left arm bend at the elbow and extending up at the sky while his right arm lay horizontal beneath it, the elbow of his left arm inches above his right hand. This gesture easily melted into placing his left hand over his heart and his right holding his stomach. "…I am not a cruel man, get your affairs in order." He went on._

_"Also-" Rumpelstiltskin returned his right arm to his side and took a step forward, pushing his left hand finger into Killian's chest. "-you can spend tonight knowing…" He paused to let his eyes widen, like a child discovering a delicious secret. "-it'll be your last!" Rumpelstiltskin giggled again, like a child._

_"Maybe I am cruel." He added on softly, more to himself than to Killian. "And don't think of trying to escape-" He added on, taking his other step so that he and Killian were practically chest to chest, however with Rumpelstiltskin's shorter stature, his chin only came to the pirate's shoulder. "-because I will find you, and I will __**gut**__ your entire crew - like-ah dee-fy-sh!"_

_The threat caused Killian's eyes to darken, and then recede into something Rumpelstiltskin could recognize at once as sheer terror, despite the masculine front he attempted to put up, and Rumpelstiltskin couldn't help but to smile in the pirate's face that wasn't more than four inches away from him._

XXX

The sound of the bell tinkling into the air pulled Mr. Gold from his thoughts, causing him to set down the far from new, poorly stitched together teddy bear back on its place on one of the back shelves behind the counter. With his long hair framing the side of his face, he was forced to turn his head to see Henry walking into his shop with something of purpose. Had it been anyone else in Storybrooke that had come in at that time, it would have warranted them a quick threat to get out, but as it was Henry, Mr. Gold couldn't help but to press his thin lips into a sort of smile.

"They say curiosity killed the cat, and yet here you are." Mr. Gold stated blatantly, eying Henry from across the room with just the one eye visible since his hair had a habit of curtaining the other. This he fixed though with a gentle toss of his head, having his hair rest naturally at the sides of his face once more.

Henry was silent as he strode up to the counter, nearly stopping dead in his tracks at Gold's comment.

_"__What does he mean by that? Curiosity killed the cat...that can't be coincidence - or is it?"_ He thought to himself worriedly, though he let his expression remain calm.

"'S'cuse me? I don't quite know what you mean." He said aloud, sounding quite innocent in tone.

Mr. Gold put his relaxed hand out, palm up with his shoulder shrugging ever so lightly.

"Why, your new-found relationship with the Mayor of course..." Mr. Gold replied as if it were obvious what he was referring to in the first place, however that same, knowing smile lingered on his lips.

"It's not a _relationship_." Henry countered coldly, not bothering to ask the pawnbroker how he came across such knowledge - with Henry's luck, half the town probably knew by now; maybe even more. "But that's beside the point. I came to talk to you about Sn-the Jane Doe." He added, nearly slipping the name of Snow White but catching himself at the last second.

"Oh?" Mr. Gold quirked a curious eyebrow, letting both his hands now rest on the edge of the counter. "Did she ask you to read another book?"

"Oh...you're _quite_ funny. I'm surprised you didn't pursue a career in stand-up." Henry replied dryly before returning to the topic at hand.

"Nothing's _happening_. I read to her and get nothing, no movement, no reaction whatsoever." He said tiredly, running both hands through his hair.

Mr. Gold kept his one eyebrow raised and managed a sort of snort/laugh through his nose.

"Yes, I do believe that's what coma patients do Mr. Carlyle. Or do they do things differently in New York?" He shook his head 'no' lightly and turned his attention to a mummified dragonfly in a glass case that had been sitting on top of the counter.

"You gave me this damnable book for a reason, Gold. And you told me _what _to do with it and what the requirements were. Now what are you keeping from me?" Henry hissed, tapping his foot impatiently.

"A mere suggestion is what I gave, for things to do in our little town since you had decided to come and visit. Nothing more." Mr. Gold retorted, raising his voice just a little bit higher in volume as to drive a point. He set the glass box back down, done examining the dragonfly and then finally looked back to Henry, taking a pause to lick his lips quickly before asking with a pointed finger, "What are _you_ suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting-" Henry began, leaning in over the counter, "-that you're not who you say you are...Dearie." He finished with an almost ferocious look in his eyes.

Mr. Gold's eyes were keenly trained on Henry's, his face firm and unforgiving, letting on that he had absolutely no idea what Henry was talking about. And then, a smile, followed by a breathy laugh.

"I figured a man of your...background...would have realized that the ink your dearly departed sister used with her quill...which she got from me by the way, wouldn't translate well over into this world...Cat."

Henry looked Gold - no...Rumpelstiltskin - up and down quickly, the corner of his mouth twitching as he tried to hide a shocked expression.

"But _how_?! The memory potion-" He drifted off, his eyes filled with...nervousness.

"-which you cast away without a second thought!" Mr. Gold interrupted him, flicking his wrist with the phrase 'cast away.' His voice had risen again in volume, irritation creeping its way into his Scottish dialect, only growing more and more as he continued on. "And now, your job is only that much more difficult. The potion was to serve as means to break this curse. _Not. For. Me!_ And now, since it is _gone_, thrown away in your _selfishness_ of getting back at _me, you_ are going to find _another way_ to bring Snow White and her Prince Charming...back...together!"

"All in due time." Henry replied, letting his tone go calm again. "You may have all the power in The Enchanted Forest, but _here_...we're on equal footing. Now you're gonna tell me what you gave my sister. And don't presume to lie your way out of this, I talked to the Queen of Hearts herself, and I have _answers_." He proclaimed in a growling voice, letting his emotions get the better of him.

Mr. Gold raised his cane a bit in his grip so that he was holding it in the center, the handle eye-level in which his own eyes were upon as he twisted the cane in small, slow circles, watching the handle turn. His mouth opened up in an 'o' shape, laughing all the while Henry spoke, clearly not buying into the fact that 'they were on equal footing.'

"The child asked for a quill, and so I gave her one." He dropped the cane, letting the pole slide down in his loosened grasp until the bottom clinked back down onto the floor. "But that matter is for another time," He said, looking back to Henry, keeping his wry smile. "Our little Jane Doe needs awakening and I'll tell you what, that little book I gave you...it holds the answer as to how."

Henry thought back to the storybook as he looked through the pages, whether in personal study or when reading it to Snow - a simple phrase, an action that kept popping up as the catalyst. The most powerful form of magic.

"True love's kiss..." Henry said in a tone that could only be described as a mixture of reverence and wonder at the same time. "True love's kiss can awaken her." He repeated, letting the thought sink in. "And it's me." He said finally, staring intently at the Dark One, or, who _was_ the Dark One.

"The only magic powerful enough to transcend realms and break any curse." A muscle in Mr. Gold's lip twitched and his eyes seemed to go hollow, looking past Henry for a moment, as if thinking of something, something he hadn't thought of in a very long time.

"And it's time..." Henry proclaimed before sharply turning on his heel, heading towards the front door of the shop. "Oh, and just in case you forget," he turned around one last time. "We're not done discussing what you did to Alice." He said before promptly leaving the store.

The ringing of the little bell at Henry's exit seemed to snap Mr. Gold out of whatever it was that he had been sunken into thinking about, only faintly hearing Henry's last words before he had left. The corner of his lip turned back into a firm smile and shook his head.

"Oh no, I expect not." He whispered out to himself, in reply to Henry's last words.

XXX

Henry paced down the sidewalk faster-than-appropriate, a slight bounce to his step. He didn't focus on anyone or anything besides the music that streamed through his Walkman, everything horrible that had happened to him would finally be reconciled - and he would have..._peace_

He entered the hospital for what was the second time today, not bothering to take his headphones off as he signed in as a volunteer, receiving a dark glare from Roz- who, as Faye aptly put, didn't look too happy at being snuck past. Henry chose to ignore her glare, however, and pinned his nametag onto his coat before strolling through the double-doors and down the hall.

The amply spacious room that occupied Snow White was as it always was: dim and sterile, and yet, somewhat cozy. Henry took off his headphones as he entered, that same warm smile on his face - hopeful, sincere. As he stood there, almost afraid to move forward, the music continued to play through his player - the song almost ironic, given the situation...

_Unforgettable  
>In every way,<br>And forever more  
>That's how you'll stay.<em>

_That's why, darling, it's incredible  
>That someone so unforgettable<br>Thinks that I am  
>Unforgettable, too.<em>

"Oh!" Henry vocalized, reaching his hand down and pressing 'Stop' with a small flush on his cheeks. "You're not even awake yet and I'm already being awkward." He admitted with a chuckle as he finally stepped up to the side of the bed.

"I know you can't hear me yet Snow-" he began solemnly, eyes both sad and hopeful at the same time. "-but I've waited a long time to see you again. Heh...come to think of it, you've never seen me without a tail and four paws. Isn't that something? Bugger _Prince Charming_, he doesn't deserve you...no one does. But I'll try my best." He ended wistfully before leaning his head in over the bed and letting his lips just barely meet hers.

He stayed like this for just a second, pulling back in confusion.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked aloud, scratching the back of his head perplexedly. He tried again, this time trying to muster more fervency into the kiss - again, nothing. "Snow? _Please_ wake up..." he plead, the once-bright, hopeful tone in his voice fading. He gently shook her by the arm, as if she just needed to be beckoned from her sleep. As if thinking it would do anymore, he kissed her once more, almost roughly as fresh tears stung the edge of his eyes.

"Come on, wake up...*Wake up*!" He cried out despairingly, squeezing her bedpost with enough force to turn his knuckles white. As if realizing the truth of the matter, the still-steady _beeping_ of Snow's heart monitor reminding him constantly, he slowly sunk down to the floor, burying his head in his hands and sobbing quietly. It was all quite clear to him now: He was alone...

XXX

_Many years ago..._

_The Cat strolled about his portion of the castle curiously. Though he'd already been staying there for a few days, there were still new things to find and discover. _

_"Hm...Snow's late. Usually she's here by now." He said aloud to no-one-in-particular. It seemed like the young woman always made time for him, even with her busy schedule. "Might as well wait somewhere convenient." He added before disappearing in a bright orange flash, leaving a silhouette of his figure for just a moment before it faded._

_Chesh landed in what would be considered his 'bedroom', the same room that they first met in when Snow had been fervently looking for her tiara, which, the Cat had learned, was a gift from her dearly-departed mother._

_Snow walked into the room just a few moments later, looking for a moment of peace. Her head was hung low and a few tears could be seen streaming from her eyes, a fraction of those that she had cried that day. Lost in introspection, she didn't notice the cat in the room as she found a chair to sit down on._

_The Cat walked slowly towards her, his own eyes empathetic - off-setting his grin. _

_"I heard what happened, my dear." He began solemnly, letting his tail simply fall instead of swish as it usually did when he was speaking. "Your father was much beloved throughout the castle. He will be missed..." The Cat wasn't sure what else he could say. Were he human, he could do more - say more. Hold her hand, hug her, do __**something**__ other than sit there looking positively amused when he wanted to mourn with her. He only watched King Leopold from a distance, never speaking to the man; but he was just and fair, as any true ruler should be._

_Snow took a moment before speaking, trying to collect her words. _

_"This wasn't normal, this isn't how men are supposed to die. I remember my Mother's death, but that was expected, natural, almost like it was fated to happen. I can't see this the same way, he's gone, not because of natural phenomenon, but because of the choices that someone out there made." Maybe the cat would be able to help her deal with her sorrows, she thought to herself. If what he had said of life in Wonderland was true, this wasn't the first time he had witnessed an unnatural death._

_"The reports I heard gave reference to a...venom from a bite of sorts - potent enough to kill and an Agrabah Viper was found in his sheets. The guards say they saw no stranger or assassin, and I, myself found nothing of note - but there are whispers though, that your father's advisor, being from Agrabah, is to blame. But, please, my friend, don't let such horrid thoughts remain in your head, precious one. Remember the king for who he was and what he meant to you and to the rest of the kingdom, relish in it - or be swallowed by the pain and self-loathing..." Cheshire said, his tone turning aloof and pained, as he knew internally that he was suffering the same fate he was warning her against._

_She wiped away some of her tears, showing a bit more composure. She looked into the cat's eyes, and said, _

_"I don't blame myself, but I wish I knew who could do something like this. I don't think I've ever met anyone who was evil enough to even think of this. In all your travels, have you ever seen someone who would want to kill a man as noble as my father?"_

_"I've met many cruel and vile people who would slaughter scores of men like your father without hesitation. They are men, and women without remorse or empathy. But they do exist...allow me to ask you this, Snow: can there be good, if there is no evil?" He asked wisely, yet his eyes were still sympathetic and kindly._

_Snow stood up, and her tears had now stopped. She had a little more confidence in her voice when she said, _

_"Chesh, I know that there is evil out there, it just shocked me to witness it so suddenly and dramatically. Evil is distancing oneself from good, falling away from path of righteousness. Even allowing the slightest concession means letting evil into your heart. Everyone must choose their road, no one else can do it for you, and it is either one or the other. I hope you will remember this, and journey together with me through the hardships that life throws at both of us."_

_Chesh seemed to hesitate before speaking. In truth, he was an enemy of law and order - preferring freedom and random chance, chaos. But he hadn't the heart to argue with her philosophy at this time, the wound of loss so fresh and open to infection. The wound would heal, but leave a mark - the scar tissue that would remain forever._

_"I am, and always will be with you, Snow. No matter what..." He promised sincerely._

_XXX_

Faye returned to the hospital immediately, glad that the appointment with Dr. Hopper was over, and ready to work. However, she was still worried about the fact that Regina had her files, and she knew that she would have to confront The Mayor about it when she came to check on the patient as per her schedule, but that wouldn't be for another four days.

She entered the sterile hospital, and headed down the halls to check on her patients.

Slamming the stairway door, Knox cursed lightly under his breath as he made his way down the hall…looking both surprised, relieved, and unsure when he caught sight of Dr. Stevenson.

"Dr Stevenson, I was just looking for you…something…something has happened to your coma patient…"

Something…that something stirred certain anger in him, what sort of sick—a patient at a hospital! What sort of twisted pervert…the security guard couldn't help it, but he was letting this stress him out more than he'd like.

"Damn it, I wasn't in surveillance at the time, but I just saw footage and picked up the tape…we—damn, we need to start screening the people we let in he—"

Faye raised her hands up in a gesture that told him to try and calm him down, she said to him seriously and in a concerned tone,

"Knox, please calm down. What happened?" She wasn't sure if he was able to tell her, and she was hesitant about asking him to show her the security footage. Taking in a deep breath, 'calming down' and cracking his knuckles in the moment of silence…Knox stared down at Dr. Stevenson with a grim expression.

"No time. I think you need to come with me to confront that damned newcomer." With two gloved fingers, he beckoned her to follow him, making their way to Jane Doe's hospital room.

Faye swallowed hard. Newcomer...did he mean Henry? What did Henry do?!

"Very well then." She followed him after he beckoned her with his fingers.

Travelling down the hall, passing room after room a bit calmer now, Knox stared at Dr. Stevenson over his shoulder, letting out a deep sigh, slowing down to fall into step rather than to lead her, speaking quietly so only she could properly hear him.

"From the audio recording, you've made your call on what happened the other night…"

Faye knew right away that he was talking about Mr. Gold, and no longer Henry. She spoke in an equally low tone,

"I can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped." Gods this not-so-secret would be the end of her.

"You say this, but you are helping him evade battery charges by keeping quiet." Turning to look at her, Knox's expression was just asking Dr. Stevenson what she wanted to do…though he knew what protocol for this hospital would normally demand done. "After every tape of surveillance footage has been watched and reviewed, I submit a report as well as a _relevant_ audio transcript, though I have fallen a little bit behind...give me a reason to lose this tape…"

Dr. Stevenson looked at him conflicted when he made his point. She knew what the right choice was, but she had to admit that she was a little scared that he may come after her, and that she may hurt the dying man in return. She sighed through her nose, and coming to a decision she answered in a low tone,

"Drop it Knox. We have other pressing matters to attend to."

Eyes widening a fraction too much, the light glare of the overhead lights hurt his eyes more than he'd like.

"I ask you because I respect your decision in this…but…fine." Clearly the security guard wasn't happy, but he respected her too much to go against her wishes. Not that he could blame her, not really; it _was_ Mr. Gold after all.

Going over to the door of the patient's room, Knox turned and gave Dr Stevenson a careful nod, "We are going in to confront the…offending party, before Sheriff Leland comes in to make the arrest." There was a pause as he gripped the doorknob, turning it slowly, "I did not know what to make of the newcomer..."

"You still haven't told me what Mr. Carlyle has done. Unless...you expect him to confess to whatever he's done?" She knew Knox wasn't one to falsely accuse someone. But how could she confront someone if she doesn't know what has happened?

Ignoring the doctor's question, for the moment, Knox deemed it best to handcuff the man first. Another security guard came over with a tape, as Knox immediately took Mr. Carlyle into his sights. The man was still huddled on the floor, crying. The security guard went over and grabbed his arms—slapping the handcuffs on with little to no problems, Henry merely remained still - like a ragdoll, his expression devoid of all emotion, though tears still streamed down his face; he looked hollow, like a husk.

Grabbing the tape and dismissing the other guard, Knox crossed over to the television. Budget cuts. This television was one of old clunky ones, with a built in VCR…but that suited his needs just fine. Holding the tape up, looking over to the doctor, the grim expression from earlier returning,

"This man was forcing himself on your patient." With one final cold glare and frown at the pitiable disposition of this...crook...Knox turned on the TV and pushed the tape into the VCR. Automatically, the weather channel switched to the black and white snow of the tape, before showing the copied footage of Henry first entering into the hospital room…

Faye watched as the video tape as it played from the very start, refusing to jump to any conclusions despite what Knox had said, but couldn't help but to gasp at the sight of Henry leaning over Jane Doe repeatedly to kiss her. She looked to Henry once again, this time with disbelief and slight disgust.

Henry didn't resist at the handcuffs, but his head looked between Faye and the television screen.

"Heather, this _isn't_ what it looks like." He said, his voice somewhat more composed. "I was trying to wake her..." He said cryptically, sounding as though he wanted to say more, but was holding back.

Faye crossed her arms; her facial expression still showed disgust, but her disbelief quickly became anger, skepticism, and disappointment. Who the hell was Heather? To her, it seemed Henry was suffering from a mental disturbance.

Narrowing his eyes coldly at Henry scrambling to explain himself, Knox leaned against the closest wall and crossed his arms, glancing at Dr. _Faye_ Stevenson.

"Yes, _Heather_, I'm quite sure our friend here has a lucid enough explanation as to why he was _kissing an unconscious coma patient_…!" Sarcasm dripping from his words like the tasteless, yet painful venom of a snake.

"Listen to me!" Henry snapped before calming down again, "I would _love_ to explain myself. But I _can't_. There are secrets that I can't tell you yet, all I ask _Faye_ is that you trust me, _please_." He pleaded, locking his eyes with hers.

The security guard spared a short, almost apologetic glance to the Jane Doe…before breathing out a hot, angry sigh.

"If you have problems with Dr. Stevenson's method of treating a patient, perhaps submit a suggestion into the front desk, instead of taking things into your own hands…?" Saying this rather dryly, Knox took a moment to pause…and scold himself for joking, making light of a serious situation.

"Regardless of explanation or not, I cannot overlook this." Faye said to Henry coldly, the skepticism still prominent in her voice. "In accordance to the rules, Mr. Carlyle, you will not be allowed back in the hospital. If you ever become a patient here – God forbid -, you will be restrained and supervised."

She quickly turned her attention to Knox.

"Mr. Kowalski, would you please call Dr. Hopper? I want him to speak with Mr. Carlyle...during his time in jail."

Not batting an eyelash and still leaning against the wall, Knox uncrossed his arms to pull his walkie-talkie from his belt, speaking briefly to another security guard before returning it back to his belt and crossing his arms again.

"Will that be all, Dr. Stevenson?" His voice and expression were blank, and expectant. It was quite evident he didn't plan on leaving anytime soon.

"Can you wait right outside of the door? I don't want anyone else to come in here, unless they're a security guard or Sheriff Leland. I'll keep an eye on him in here." There was no other exit for Henry to leave; there wasn't even a window for him to jump out of.

Knox raised a brow at her request, pushing off of the wall he leaned against moments ago.

"I hope you have a good reason to go against—"

Faye stopped Knox mid-sentence with a meaningful look that said that she could fight him off he tried anything. The security guard sighed his long sigh and wordlessly left the room, but left the door open just a crack for a few moments.

"Do not, under any circumstances, lock the door. Don't take more than ten." With that, the door made a small click as he pulled it closed.

Now alone, Dr. Stevenson looked to Henry and she said coldly,

"Well? You have an explanation. Don't you?"

Henry's eyes followed Knox out the door, finally landing on Faye again.

"My coming here wasn't a coincidence." He began carefully, shifting his weight to get more comfortable, especially given the circumstances. "There's a dark secret surrounding this town, a secret that _very_ few people know. And I've come here to save you, save the town. I _know_ I sound crazy, and I _know_ your first instinct is to shut me up and toss me in a cell, but _please, _Faye. Everything I've done here was planned and coordinated by forces that go beyond either of us." He finished, keeping his voice low and calm. He wanted to tell her of magic, tell her of the Dark Curse that surrounded the town, how the grouchy pawnbroker was in reality the most powerful being in all the realms...but he couldn't, she'd only think him crazier than he had already implied.

Faye's facial features were now no more than a mask, remaining the same as Henry spoke, never changing to show what the head doctor was really thinking. For a brief moment, there was a flicker of black among the blue irises, but it disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. She knew very well that Knox could record this. Making sure that her skepticism was shown loud and clear in her tone, she answered,

"Fine, I'll play along. What are these 'forces' that you are talking about?"

Henry exhaled sharply, obviously struggling with what words to devise.

"I...I wish I could tell you, Faye, I honestly do. You just need to trust me is all I can ask. Give me a few more days and I _promise_ with all my heart that it will be made clear to you." He finished almost meekly.

Faye was quiet. She mouthed a silent 'Fine,' to him, her eyes making contact with his but the mask never disappeared for a second. She then spoke out loud, keeping the cold skeptical look looking away from him, her tone still icy,

"I think what you really need, Mr. Carlyle, is to speak with Dr. Hopper. You're _clearly_ not feeling well."

Henry kept his own face of despair and dismay, but his eyes - if only for a moment, lit up.

"Why won't you listen to me? You _know_ I'm not crazy, Faye!" He pleaded once again, his tone rising just slightly in volume; not enough to be inappropriate, but enough to add emphasis to his statement.

Faye remained distant and cold to Henry, as she responded just like any other doctor would.

"I know you're not." Where was Sheriff Leland? What was taking him so long? Storybrooke was anything but large. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Carlyle…" She then headed out of the door, and closed it behind her to make sure he didn't leave, and met up with Knox.

"Tell me why I needed to leave." The security guard was standing just beside the door with his arms crossed, that expectant look about him.

"I didn't want anyone else who wanted to visit Jane Doe to endanger them by entering the same room as the newcomer, and I wanted to gauge how he was mentally, myself."

Looking up at a ceiling light vaguely, Knox's eyes were soon shut…dumb idea.

"You know by now that the front desk will inform visitors when some patients cannot be visited, that there would be more security guards stationed on this floor at this present time…that there should be one inside _with_ you. So…why?" Looking over at another guard turning down a different side of the hall, Knox leaned closer. "I respected your choices, and all I ask in return is that if your actions are unclear to me, that you give me some sort of explanation." Holding still, though after a moment, the man started drumming his fingers on his crossed arm...looking flustered. "Do you trust him?"

Faye bit her bottom lip and nodded, looking down to hide her reddening face and answered him in a low tone,

"To be honest, I don't even know anymore…but it feels like there is at least a grain of truth in his madness. But that doesn't mean I approve of his earlier behavior shown on the security tape, you know."

Leaning even closer, Knox softened his gaze for only a moment.

"Then trust me when I say…don't hold the guy to an unrealistic promise, don't hold it against him when he can't deliver." His expression turned sterner, reminding himself that they weren't even remotely talking about his own father. "Mr. Carlyle isn't in the right, mad or no…and you're no Polonius." Staying in place for only a moment, the security guard straightened out, blinking more light out of his eyes now that he had more space before him. "I'll let you see this through to the end…but, careful. If this takes a turn for the worse at this hospital due to Mr. Carlyle, and it's still up in the air at this point to decide if it will—it'd be easier to scrap a security guard, even the most trusted and dependable one, for a breach in security…you are taking my fate in your hands when you decide to trust him."

Faye nodded at his warning, and she said to him,

"I'll be careful. And I'll be sure not to give you a terrible fate." She then looked to see that Robert had finally arrived, wordlessly ducking into the room to arrest Henry.

"Sir, I'm sorry but you're gonna have to leave the building and come with me." Robert made sure to keep his hands free, just in case he had to use a bit of force while removing Henry from the premises. Him already being handcuffed came at a pretty good time.

"Of course..._Sheriff_." Henry replied calmly, using Robert's title almost as if he was disgusted to use the man's proper name. "Please be gentle with my Walkman, would you?" He requested, bowing his head down to the music player at his belt.

Robert removed Henry's Walkman from his possession and took hold of Henry's wrists that were bound together by the cuffs and walked him out, stopping for a moment to nod towards Dr. Stevenson and Knox before walking again with Henry to leave the building to the patrol car that was waiting just outside, amber lights flashing.

XXX

Regina watched with a content smile as the eight-year-old boy played on the swing-set in Storybrooke's one and only park. It was a little out-of-the-way from the rest of the town, tucked snugly into a cleared out portion of the forest that closed the park off from the rest of the world, it seemed. Realistically, it would have only been a twenty minute walk from Any Given Sundae, but the ice cream was long-gone by now, smeared all over the child's face. Regina had to wonder if he even got any into his stomach. She opted to drive her Mercedes instead, it being the only car parked out in front of the park.

Her cellphone sat neatly in her lap, the back light still on from sending a recent text message to Robert, telling him where he could meet her. As she waited, she found herself only getting more and more anxious, which brought Regina to get up off of the bench and go to Mason and took the swing beside him.

"How would you feel about staying at my place tonight Mason? It's very large, and it could be your very own castle."

Mason, who was swinging about three times as high as Regina, beamed at the mention of a castle. He must have really liked the idea because he started to make himself swing even higher before jumping out of the swing to see how far he could go, whooping and hollering as he fell.

"Mason!" Regina shot out of the swing and was by Mason's side in a heartbeat, but the boy was not injured; in fact, he landed on his own two feet like an agile cat. That didn't stop Regina from taking a knee and brushing off his pants and then holding onto his wrists while she looked up at him. "Are you alright?" Regina asked, her brown eyes looking upon him with the same look of concern she held for him back at the mines.

"I'm fine Ms. Mayor, it was fun!" Mason beamed and then ran back to the swings to do it all over again. Regina stood up, dusting the bark and dirt from her knee and shin as she turned back to look at him and shook her head with a smile. This...this was what she was missing in the same-shit-different-day-in-Storybrooke.

Some days, Robert felt more like an assistant than a sheriff. After the trouble at the mine's, he'd spent his day playing phone tag with the school officials and the local construction crew, even though there were still open cases. Regina had demanded that he meet her in the park as soon as possible. It took a bit of time, as he had to go through the painstaking process of booking Henry but he eventually made the drive to the park, making sure to bring the pile of papers she'd need to sign for the cement crew to proceed.

He parked his car next to Regina's Mercedes, watching the subtle moment she was having with the small boy and waited until Regina had finished before approaching her.

"Got the crew ready to go and seal up the mine, you just need to sign the invoices and permits. School had nothing about Mason, didn't even know who was paying for his lunches. I don't even know how they can have so little on him and still comply with state laws."

"Because someone isn't doing their job by reporting these things to me." Regina snapped bitterly as she took the files from Robert and signed the appropriate papers, shoving them back into Robert's chest once she was done. She of course was talking about David Nolan...Prince James. Just the name alone made Regina's lip curl into a beastly snarl, grateful that Mason was too hard at play now on the monkey bars as she and the sheriff spoke. At least Regina could rest just a bit easier now, the mines would be paved over, and no one would find her secret.

"Henry Carlyle, please tell me you have something on him by now." Regina then said, changing the subject since the matter of the mines was no longer an issue. Robert frowned.

"I arrested him in the hospital, caused a commotion by kissing Jane Doe or something, doctors wanted him out. No previous criminal record, and I'm not sure if we'll be able to build a solid case off of this, but it'll get him off the streets if that's what you're worried about."

Regina couldn't help but laugh, nothing fake or staged like she usually did, but a pure, genuine laugh of amusement. Henry, kissing Snow White? What, did he think in his little, delusional mind that it would be _him_ to wake Snow from the sleeping curse? No...it wasn't, David Nolan was the only threat here, and his head was filled with so many lies that he didn't even know who Snow White was, and that would never change. Never.

It did perturb her a bit though, this was really the first, solid confirmation that Henry was here to break her curse, but with him now behind bars on a truly delicious case stacked up against him, she didn't have much to fret about.

"In his room, I didn't find much, random personal belongings and an old book of fables that came from Mr. Gold's. I couldn't match his prints with any of the ones on the envelope with the tax money, I just found the mysterious woman's and a set I presume is yours. Was he wearing gloves?" Robert was trying to get everything he knew out quickly, hoping that something would be promising.

Regina just waved her hand away, as if all that information was now pointless to her. Henry Carlyle was safe behind bars at long last, it didn't matter that it wasn't by her own hand, all that mattered was that he was right where she wanted him to be.

"I want to talk about something else." Regina said, her voice sounding, all-of-a-sudden more...jovial. "The woman you put into the cells, the one that escaped...what do we know about her?"

"Basically nothing. No ID on her, refused to give a name, prints don't match anyone in the criminal database. All she had on her was the envelope and some cash, and I haven't seen her around since. Graham was out when she escaped, and there was no damage to the station or any equipment, either we're dealing with a master burglar or someone with keys. I've got her photo and prints, I could even put up wanted posters if you think it would help."

"No...no I've got another matter I want your attention on. I went to visit this...mystery woman yesterday, and she kept mentioning Dr. Faye Stevenson. I've already...acquired the doctor's files from Dr. Hopper and will be going over going over them tonight once Mason is asleep." Regina paused to look over at the boy, still playing on the monkey bars. "I'll let you know if I find anything." There wasn't much to add to the way she said it that wouldn't lead Robert to believe that the files were obtained illegally, but Regina didn't even bat an eyelash with revealing the information to him. Instead, she patted Robert on the chest a few times and smiled. "Good work Sheriff. I might keep you employed after all."

Robert nodded, and walked back to the car. Law enforcement was tricky business, and he was very skeptical about whether Regina had obtained Dr. Hopper's files legitimately. While that line of investigation may be off limits, he could still look into Dr. Stevenson. Things were making less sense, especially regarding the case of the envelope, but more investigation would always be helpful. Before he left, Robert turned and said,

"I'll get right on it. Oh, and if you still have that wine, I wouldn't mine trying a bit tonight after you're done with those files."

Regina followed him with her eyes as he walked to the car, and smiled at his remark.

"I'll see you tonight then Sheriff." She replied with a wink. Yes, tonight was looking to be a _very_ good night for The Queen.

XXX

After the incident at the hospital, Dr. Faye Stevenson decided to head home. She didn't want to stick around and see if disappointment turned out to be another trigger for her other persona. She walked all the way from the hospital to the street, and she stopped and watched a bit as Regina got out of the car...with a little boy that she hadn't seen before.

Regina slammed her car door shut and watched as Mason bounded up the stairs to the patio, completely awe-struck at the sheer size of the place.

"This is your _home_?" Mason asked, his eyes wide as they were bright. Regina chuckled, not noticing Dr. Stevenson just a short ways behind her.

"_Our_ home." Regina corrected him. "You'll be staying with me for a while...if that's alright."

Mason bounced off of the patio, down the stairs and back to Regina who hadn't even made it halfway up the driveway yet and Regina felt an odd, warm feeling in the place where her heart was when the child wrapped his arms around her torso in a tight hug. Regina found herself hugging him back (if a bit awkwardly from the height difference) and then patted him on the back as they parted, that warm feeling in her chest growing as she realized that he was smiling up at her with a wide, ice-cream-faced grin.

The doctor watched the scene in front of her. She knew that she had to talk to The Mayor, but she felt a little guilty for interrupting the sweet moment. She sighed through her nose, steeling her nerves, and she made herself known, greeting the mayor civilly and politely,

"Ah! Good Evening Madam Mayor."

Regina turned her head to see Dr. Stevenson there, and the kindness she held in her eyes for Mason was all but gone.

"Evening..." She said, albeit skeptically. It wasn't often she got house calls, what did the doctor want?

Faye stayed on the sidewalk, and by technicalities, off of Regina's property.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but could I speak with you, Madam Mayor?"

Regina gave a good look at Dr. Stevenson and then looked at the position of the woman's feet, only for a moment before returning her cold gaze to the doctor's eyes once more, as if daring her to take another step forward. Before she answered Faye though, she turned back to Mason and bent her knees slightly to get on a more level height with him.

"Go on inside Mason, and get yourself a bath. I'll order us some pizza for dinner okay?" She instructed and the boy took off, blissfully unaware that something bad was about to transpire. Once Mason was safe inside her home, Regina turned back to Dr. Stevenson, crossing her arms over her chest.

"He was already checked out at the site doctor, he's fine." Regina snapped coldly, like a mother bear ready to rip anyone to shreds if anyone came between her and her cubs.

Faye answered Regina keeping her tone polite, civil, and socialable.

"So I've heard. I'm glad to see he's doing well, but I'm not here to talk about Mason. I'm here about a different matter."

"Any concerns you might have regarding the earthquake will be addressed at the town meeting on Tuesday." Regina interjected, her voice now sounding bored with a sentence that she had probably been using all day.

"I'm not here about the Earthquake either." Faye said shaking her head. "I received word that you took my psychological profile from Dr. Hopper, _without_ a warrant. Why?"

Regina chuckled inwardly, making her arms rise from her chest a few times. She let them rest to her side once more, however, when Regina started taking a few steps towards Faye. "That's an awfully bold accusation, Dr. Stevenson." Regina said with the makings of a smirk on her lips. "What makes you think that I would do something like that?"

Faye shook her head at Regina, and asked (despite that her question implied that Regina was playing dumb),

"Don't tell me you forgot?" She then answered. "You're the only one who _can_ do something like that. Plus, you threatened me for patients' medical records before, on a total of four times over the past five years. Specifically on August 21 five years ago, December 16 four years, October 6 three years ago, and January 8 two years ago. Who's to say you didn't use the same method this time?"

Regina's face didn't falter, clearly impressed by the memory of Dr. Stevenson but not at all put-off by the information.

"You've quite the memory doctor." Regina complimented. "It would serve you well to remember that on those four occasions, those medical records were in relation to Miss Jane Doe. A Mayor can only see that things have been done right in terms of a coma patient." Her lips spread into a white smile, beautiful yet taunting. "As her emergency contact, I made it a point to know these things."

"My point, Madam Mayor, is that the fact that you _threatened_ me for the medical records, means that you most likely did the same to Dr. Hopper for my medical records. I want to know _why_ you want them and I would greatly appreciate it, if you returned them to Dr. Hopper." Faye responded, her voice remaining diplomatic despite the obvious agitation.

"I've no need of your records, _doctor_," Regina said with a bitter tone to the word. "you may flatter yourself as much as you like, but dear...you're not that interesting." Regina flashed one more smile before she turned to leave, making it back to the halfway point of her driveway before turning back around for a moment.

"Feel free to get a warrant and have Sheriff Leland come and search my house if you'd like, I've nothing to hide." Her smile changed, from taunting to just plain wicked. They both knew that was exactly what it would take for Faye to get her records back without Regina's consent, and they both knew that Robert was wrapped around Regina's finger like a string puppet. Regina certainly wasn't making it easy on Dr. Stevenson, but then again, Regina never made it easy on anyone.

"Have a good evening." Regina ended sounding polite and still with a smile, and turned back to finish walking to her patio.

Dr. Stevenson knitted her eyebrows together but refused to show any more anger towards Regina. She smiled at Regina cheerfully, and yet in a way that could unnerve a person (because there was something sinister in that smile that even Dr. Stevenson was unaware of),

"Oh I will. Have a good evening, Madam Mayor,"

She then turned and started walking down the sidewalk, recalling a law in the town charter that may help her with this situation. For now, she was just going to head home.

Xxx

Regina walked in just as Mason was getting out of the bath, and Regina had to curse herself for forgetting about the boy's clothes. Well, not like he would be wearing that garbage David Nolan was fronting for the boy anyway; they would just have to spend some time together tomorrow going shopping. True to her word, Regina ordered the both of them pizza and while they ate, watched a movie per Mason's request. Regina didn't understand a large majority of the Transformer's movie, but hearing Mason's child-like giggles filling up the room that would have otherwise been completely empty was enough for her to push through the entire thing.

It was nearly nine pm by the time the movie was over, but Regina didn't want the night to end. Sure Mason had school in the morning, and any responsible parent would have put him to bed shortly after...but Regina wasn't a parent. They ended up spending the next hour making cookies together, and since Regina didn't have any 'fun-shaped' cookie cutters, Mason took it upon himself to shape the dough into different animals using just his fingers and a kitchen knife. Really it just looked like a bunch of uneven, misshaped blobs on a cookie sheet to Regina, but his smile kept reminding her that not everything always had to be so pristine and perfect.

It wasn't until Regina saw Mason passed out completely on the couch while they waited for the cookies to finish baking that Regina patted him awake and walked him up the spiral staircase and into a bedroom she never used. It was quite plain, the walls were a mute beige and save for a twin-sized bed and wooden desk in the corner it was completely empty. As she helped Mason climb underneath the covers, the once empty room seemed to fill as Regina imagined small toys littering the floor, a colorful rug on top of the hardwood floors, the walls painted a bright blue and of course a pile of dirty laundry in the corner. These images soon melted away, back to the bare walls and boring structure as Mason grabbed Regina's hand and gave it a tired squeeze before he drifted off to sleep once more.

Instinct suddenly took over, and Regina bent at the waist to put a soft kiss on the boy's forehead, squeezing his hand back and forced herself to leave him be in his bed and return downstairs. It was only then that the manila folder that Regina had plucked from Dr. Hopper's possession caught her attention, sitting out in the open on the coffee table in the living room, begging to be read. Regina picked up the folder as she sat down, holding it in her lap and began to read over the notes.

The first few pages were standard stuff, trying Regina's patience even then. Name, age, address, examiner information...Regina flipped through a couple more pages until she finally found the referral question, the reason why Faye Stevenson was even seeing Dr. Hopper in the first place.

_"Dr. Stevenson has been complaining of some minor blackouts resulting in memory loss when she comes-to again. Patient describes worry, anxiety, stress and fear when succumbing to these episodes. Further analysis is required."_

Regina pressed on, flipping through page after page of reports. Interviews, tests done, medications prescribed, but what Regina was looking for seemed to be hidden between the lines, if anything was there at all. Nothing stuck out to her that would explain the woman that had nearly choked her to death in the holding cells. That is, until she reached the last page, documenting the most recent interview from a week ago.

_"Dr. Stevenson's blackouts continue and she keeps finding herself in places she doesn't ever recall going to. Through extensive research I have been able to pinpoint this condition as DID, Dissociative Identity Disorder. I believe that Dr. Stevenson thinks that she becomes another person during these blackouts, and this other person is blocking Dr. Stevenson from recalling any events that might take place during the episode. Further treatment is still required, medical dosage for treating anxiety and depression will be continued. Prolonged psychotherapy, hypnotherapy and adjudicative therapy will be tested."_

Regina sat back into the couch, re-reading the passage at least a hundred times. What did that mean? Surely the woman in the cells wasn't Dr. Stevenson's 'alternate' self, they looked nothing alike! But still, it was the only thing that made sense. But on the other side, it made no sense at all! Who was this woman, who was she really? Regina tried thinking back...back before the curse to pinpoint who this woman was. She was only able to vaguely remember seeing her in one of her magic mirrors, it was just for a moment, and her attention had been too far put into getting Rumpelstiltskin to come to her castle...

Rumpelstiltskin...Dr. Stevenson, she was with him. A caretaker...and that meant Rumpelstiltskin knew exactly who she was. Regina quickly put the papers back in order and closed the envelope with a wry smile on her face, she knew now who held the information to the girl, and as luck would have it, he still had his memories. But now wasn't the time to go and bother Mr. Gold, it was nearly eleven at night and the old, bitter man would shoot her the moment she stepped foot on his lawn. Ungrateful bastard, she gave him that lawn.

Instead, Regina grabbed her coat and locked up her house tight, manila envelope tucked tightly underneath her arm and began her short walk to Archie's house. She didn't stay long, just long enough to slide the envelope underneath the cricket's welcome mat where Archie would very well know where to find it. She couldn't leave any chances open, although she was confident with herself in not getting caught with it, the way Dr. Stevenson had bid her goodnight was a bit...unnerving.

Shoving her hands into her coat pockets, she then began the short walk to the Sheriff's station where she knew Robert would still be, probably bored out of his mind with what little went on in Storybrooke. She had a prisoner to see, even if it was 'after hours.'

Regina rounded the corner to find Henry behind bars, just as Robert had said. She found her head swiveling to look over at Robert's desk, but found it empty.

_"Coffee run at Granny's. Perhaps I should have granted his request for a coffee machine…"_ Regina found herself thinking. Keeping her hands stuffed tightly into her coat pockets, Regina pushed forward and approached the cell, looking down at Henry.

The man in question sat on the metal frame that counted as a 'bed', his back leaning against the wall. His coat had been strewn on the floor for some time now, leaving him in a simple dress-shirt and waistcoat. As he looked up to see Regina walk in, an almost devilish smile crept along his lips - almost as if he hadn't just been an emotional wreck a few hours ago.

"You know, if you were so intent on kissing someone, you could have always come back over." She jabbed at him a bit coldly.

"Well, I like to spice things up a bit, _Your Majesty_." He replied simply. His words sounded taunting, but his tone was nothing but conversational, friendly even. "That's not to say-" he began, standing up, "-that you were anything less than enjoyable." He finished, planting his hands in his trouser pockets.

A muscle in Regina's lip twitched at the royal term. She had only just gotten used to Mr. Gold using her correct title when they were alone, and it was just all the more...strange when someone she didn't even know the true identity of used it so freely.

"Who _are_ you? How did you get here?" Regina found herself asking him.

"And why would I tell you that?" Henry asked, feigning shock that she would even _dare_ ask such a thing. "To give you leverage? No...I think I'm fine. Here, my name is Henry Carlyle, I took my car here from New York." He answered, pacing about the cell nonchalantly.

"_He_ put you up to this didn't he? Somehow, the Imp got to you..." She observed out loud, her eyes narrowing at him between the bars. "I bet he told you to call yourself Henry too, in an effort to get close to me. Well it might have worked to begin with, but I'll tell you one thing right now Henry, is that you are looking at quite the sentence and you will be out of Storybrooke by morning...and I didn't even have to frame you to do it. Your own, stupid whims got you here, which makes this all the more satisfying."

If you're so confident, then why feel the need to gloat to me?" He asked her, his face almost dark in expression. "You're _scared_." He added on in a voice that was nothing less than venomous, truly unlike his character.

"I just had one question." Regina said, her own expression mirroring his own but hers was more out of determination than anger. "Why her? Why _that_ patient?"

"I do believe my client is done answering questions for the evening."

Regina jumped, turning around to find Mr. Gold not ten feet away from her and leaning heavily on his cane with a stone-faced expression. His dark brown eyes looked past Regina to Henry and he nodded once in a slight greeting.

"Henry! How are you holding up?" He asked, almost sounding...jovial.

Regina's jaw nearly dropped; did she just hear him right?

"Client?" She asked, shaking her head in an effort to clear whatever it was that was blocking her ears.

"That's right, I'm taking over Mr. Carlyle's case Mayor Mills." Mr. Gold said with an affirmative nod, drawing his attention from Henry and back to Regina. "Isn't that right, Henry?" He then called out just a bit louder towards Henry.

"Quite right, indeed." Henry affirmed, smiling widely - though this smile didn't emanate cheer or friendliness, but malice and spitefulness.

"Why?" Regina practically demanded. "Why on earth would you-" She cut herself off though, remembering their last conversation she had with him and her eyebrows furrowed, and Mr. Gold just smiled lightly. Regina stomped over to Mr. Gold, stopping only when they were just a breath's width away from one another. Her eyes glared intently into his, but neither said a word for a good, solid minute.

"Fine." Regina said at long last, as if finishing a thought that might have been a silent conversation between their minds. Mr. Gold then watched as Regina pushed past him, and called out behind her, "I won't make this easy for you Gold! You'd do well to remember who you're trifling with!" And then she was gone, leaving Mr. Gold and Henry alone in the quiet confines of the otherwise empty sheriff's department.

"What a charming woman." Mr. Gold said in the direction to where Regina had just stormed off, pleasantry still holding in his voice.

"Figured she'd be a bit more compromising after our interaction. Guess not." Henry replied nonchalantly, picking his coat up off the ground and moving it onto the bed. "Dare I say, Rumpelstiltskin - I'm quite pleased to see you." He said in a tone that hinted disbelief at his own words.

Mr. Gold looked back to Henry, palming both hands on the handle of his cane as he looked upon Henry with a slightly confused expression.

"Usually I just have that effect on women..." He replied without even so much as a hint to whether he was joking or not. He took the next moment to lift his cane and began walking towards Henry's cell so as to have a proper conversation. It was remarkable really, how easy it was for him to sneak into a room without the loud clanking of his cane hitting the floor as it now was doing.

"Don't let Regina scare you with her words. She's a powerful woman, yes, but you've now got a powerful attorney. I heard about what happened, and offer my services if you'll have them."

"Gladly." Henry replied simply, completely confident. "The hospital incident was a...slip-up. I let my emotions cloud my judgment." He admitted guiltily. The pain of not having Snow White for himself caused him great distress, but the emotional torment now seemed to harden him; callous up as the real mission became more and more apparent. He was quick to interpret the Pawnbroker's words back in his shop, a mistake he felt entirely guilty about now as he let his mind only think what _he_ wanted to think. "I may not be her true love-"

Mr. Gold made a quiet scoff, mumbling under his breath "That much is clear..."

"-but I owe it to her nonetheless to break the Curse, and that's precisely what I'm going to do." He finished, ignoring Gold's sarcasm, pretending to have not heard it.

"Her? No my dear boy...you owe _me_." Mr. Gold responded, using his thumb to gesture towards his chest, his voice a growled snarl that would remind Henry that he was both Mr. Gold _and_ Rumpelstiltskin. At this outburst, Henry's face tightened severely, like a deer looking in the face of a wolf. Mr. Gold then took in a deep breath, letting his eyes close for a moment to keep back the sudden anger that unexpectedly became evident in him, and clutched his cane a bit tighter.

"I'll be leaving you here for a few days, but your case has already been resolved. Who's to press charges anyway? As her emergency contact, Mayor Mills is the only one within a position to do so, but I have yet to make a deal with that woman that she's been able to refuse." He stopped to smile, as if thinking back on something.

"If you think you can deter her, I'll let you work your magic." Henry said, then winced visibly at the unintentional pun he just made.

"The people of Storybrooke need time. No doubt Regina's lap dog reporter will be filling the morning paper with your over-exaggerated and highly inappropriate actions at the hospital. You'd be safer _behind_ bars then out in front of them. Once things have calmed down, I'll sign for your release."

"Sounds well and good. Last thing I need to do is run into that bloody security guard. That man can stare daggers." Henry said as a respectfully fearful compliment. Mr. Gold then made a point to match the very expression that Henry was describing. "I can't believe I'm saying this, Dark One...but thank you." He said with a curt, but gracious nod.

"Here, it's just Mr. Gold." He corrected Henry. He wasn't The Dark One, not without magic; a painful reminder that he was still so far from reaching his ultimate goal. A thousand years of planning, and waiting, and to this day still so far. His body seemed to deflate, just slightly as Mr. Gold turned to leave the Sheriff's office, having no more business to discuss with Henry.

"Mr. Gold?" Henry signaled, raising his voice just slightly as he saw the older man turn to leave. "I just have one question for you - my name…my _real_ name. Why can't I remember it?"

Mr. Gold stopped abruptly, his back seeming to stiffen as he thought his answer over.

"Because you have no desire to remember anything of what has passed." He answered simply, a small tug of guilt coming down on him, glad to at least still have his back to Henry. He left it at that though, and Henry was then rewarded only by the sound of Mr. Gold's cane clinking down the hallway and eventually out of the building.

Henry could do little but watch as Mr. Gold left the Sheriff's office, the _clang_ of the door closing only amplifying his solitary confinement.

**Author's Note:**

**A bit lengthier than I had anticipated, I hope it was all worthwhile to you guys. Lots of drama still to be stirred up, and of course more action and revelations. Ooooh this next chapter will be lots of fun!**


	13. Chapter 13: Miners Day

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, so I couldn't *not* do a chapter for Miners Day, however there has been a lot going on since a bit of time has skipped so I had to implement that into this chapter to so what was supposed to be a single chapter turned into possibly two or even three chapters. Sorry about that guys haha. Happy reading!**

An entire week had passed since Henry had been thrown in jail, and just as Mr. Gold promised he was out three days later after things had calmed down a bit in Storybrooke. That still didn't save from the fact that people were now treating their newcomer with an air of difference, most of the time going out of their way to avoid him on the streets or hurriedly leaving whatever shop they had been in once Henry stepped inside. What probably came as the biggest shock, however, was that Henry had been forced to sleep in his car for the last four days as Granny had 'suddenly' been reminded about a town ordinance that kept felons from being able to stay at the Bed and Breakfast. He missed Faye; he missed _Heather_ but she still wasn't on speaking terms with him (as well as everyone else in Storybrooke) so all Henry could do now was sit back in his car and wait for an opportunity to present itself.

Things couldn't have been going better for Dr. Faye Stevenson. Life for her went on with absolute normality after the incident with Henry and Jane Doe but more importantly, no blackouts! She certainly didn't let the opportunity of her other persona's disappearance go to waste. She became a little more outgoing, going to lunch with co-workers and trying to make friends after work, ignoring the dread that she felt at the possibility that her persona will rear their head in again. It also turned out, from her recent meeting with Dr. Hopper, that her file had 'mysteriously' turned up once again. Faye knew exactly what that was; Regina had given the files back, and no matter of lie Dr. Hoper came up with in regards to remembering now where he had misplaced the files in the first place, Faye knew now that she had nothing to use to push charges onto The Mayor of Storybrooke.

There were moments, however, as the week went by that Faye couldn't help but wonder as to why she partially trusted Henry. The question bugged her more than anything when she tried to sleep at night, keeping her awake until the ridiculous hours of the morning when it was time to get up for work again. It took a bit of doing, but with her stubborn mind she eventually managed to push the matter into the back of her mind to focus on her job, the patients, or if she wasn't socializing with her co-workers after hours. At least she was now getting more sleep out of it.

Now, as the Head Doctor, she was putting together a fundraiser for Storybrooke Hospital for Miners' Day, an event in itself that kept the doctor quite busy with planning and organizing when she otherwise needed her mind occupied. After discussing with the other doctors, they all decided to raise money for research into ALS by setting up a dunk tank. Presently, the setup had been completed as of a few hours ago, all they needed is a volunteer. Unfortunately, nobody responded to the flyers posted around the town or the ads put into _The Daily Mirror_. Faye honestly didn't blame them. Being dropped into a tank of cold water on the verge of autumn in Maine didn't sound too appealing to her either.

Suddenly, an idea quickly stemmed to the head doctor's mind as she looked over the slow gathering crowd as Miners Day was coming to a slow start.

_"Maybe __**he **__would..."_

XXX

Faye walked to Granny's from the the heart of the town after hearing a quick rumor that Henry could be found there around this time of day. The diner was alarmingly empty, and Faye had to wonder if it was because people were _really_ going out of their way to avoid Henry, or if they were all too busy with their own Miners Day preparations to bother with a quick lunch. She took a seat at a booth, setting down a duffel bag next to her and fidgeted her fingers anxiously, waiting for Henry to come inside.

As if on cue, the soft but audible _ring_ of the door bell sounded as Henry walked through; the crisp cold air cutting through the air-conditioned environment of the diner like a sharp blade until the door closed behind him, keeping the wicked wind from permeating any further. At first not seeing Faye at the booth, Henry promptly removed his gloves; stuffing them in his coat pocket as he loosened the scarf around his neck. His eyes drifted across the restaurant until landing on her, staying locked there for a few moments. Though it was quite obvious he wanted to approach, something held him back: fear, apprehension maybe, possibly even shame.

Faye's eyes met with his, and she quickly looked out of the window, as though she hadn't been looking at him to begin with. She could hear the whispers coming from the other customers who noticed Henry enter the diner and shuffled about to finish up the rest of their meal and quickly as they could. Faye never really read _The Daily Mirror_, she didn't particularly care much for Sidney's idea of 'local gossip' especially when it came to matters that should have been handled in a less…public fashion. But despite reading the articles, she knew what they said; it was all Storybrooke ever seemed to talk about anymore.

Henry watched everyone leave with almost apathetic disinterest, but it didn't take a doctor to notice the pain that hid in his eyes as she chanced to look back at him from under her eyelashes. He let his head cock to look at Faye once again, rapping his fingers against his leg as he seemed to debate speaking to her or not. He had no other choice.

"I need your help." He said aloud to her, not letting his eyes leave hers for a moment.

Faye looked up to him and nodded, silently thanking the higher power that she hadn't had to be the one to approach him. She gestured to the empty booth seat opposite to hers, showing that she was willing to listen.

"Why don't you take a seat?"

Henry muttered a quiet "Thank you" and walked over, sliding into the opposite booth and managing a small smile, though it was hollow - not _his_ smile.

"Hello." He said simply, clasping his hands together before relaying his issue. "I'm not sure if you heard or not, but Regina's had me evicted from Granny's." He said, not caring to use the mayor's proper title. "She's lost the court case and she knows it, so she's pulling every last string she has to keep me out. I can't leave just yet, and I need somewhere to stay, and I was wondering if..." He trailed off, though it was quite obvious what he was asking the doctor.

"…if you could stay in my home." Faye finished his question for him. She seemed to think over it for a moment before answering. "Yes. However there is a condition. Are you going to be ok with the fact that my home has video cameras as part of its security system? The cameras are not in the bathrooms or guest bedroom…"

Henry couldn't restrain an audible sigh of relief, his shoulders seeming to relax slightly.

"Faye, I can't...I can't thank you enough for this." He said with a warm smile, his _true_ smile. "Yes, that's fine. I've nothing to hide." He reassured the doctor in relation to the security camera issue.

"Good, good." Faye took a sip of her water, though she wasn't thirsty it gave her something to do while she thought over what she needed to say. "Uh, there was something I hoped _you_ could help _me _with…" She then asked "But first things first, have you ever heard of Miners' Day?"

"Yes, of course, it's been the talk of the town - besides me." He said, finishing with an almost bitter tone to his voice. "Are you helping there?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, in a way. As Head Doctor, I'm having Storybrooke Hospital run a fundraiser on Miners' Day. We will be raising funds for research into ALS, so we will be running a little game booth on Miners' Day. It's a real classing; the dunk tank. The thing is...we need someone to be dropped into the tank...and no one's volunteered for the position." Faye finished her explanation awkwardly, knowing how unappealing the idea may sound to Henry once he realized just what she was asking.

"I see..." Henry replied, sounding quite perplexed. "Very well, I'll be your guinea pig." He said with a huff, running a hand through his hair. Under regular circumstances, he would have most likely made a joke about her wanting to see him soaked - but times were awkward and cold now, and he presumed it would remain like that for some time...but perhaps volunteering for a good cause would help to bandage that.

"Thank you." Faye said with a relieved, warm smile. "Hopefully, this in turn will be able to help you a little more as well. The people can't hate you forever. I didn't…"

"I certainly hope so." Henry replied, letting his eyes drift off out the window to look out at the street. "So..." he began almost awkwardly, "Howya been?" He asked in a conversational enough tone, turning to look at her once again.

"I've been well Henry, thank you." She wanted to ask how he was doing, but she knew better, it was best to just not talk about the situation back at the hospital altogether.

"Well, that's good. I'm happy for you." He said friendly enough, though still seeming distant. "I uh-I missed talking to you." He said, sounding almost...nervous; a trait uncommon with him, _especially_ when talking to others, which he was especially good at.

"It has been a while since we last spoke, hasn't it?" Faye asked, noticing now that she was chewing on her lower lip out of a nervous habit.

"Indeed it has." Henry replied, purposefully dodging the altercation in the hospital that strictly limited their interaction.

"We should get to the tank, and get you on your throne. Miners Day is due to start at any time." She joked at the last bit as she stood up and waited for Henry to do the same.

"Oh, I see!" Henry exclaimed, looking at his own pocket watch he kept safely secured in his suit jacket pocket. "Yes, I suppose we should. Do you have any spare clothes or a...hairnet?" He asked, placing a hand on his, admittedly well-styled hair, adding emphasis.

"Yes, there are spare clothes in here...and there's a swimming cap in there too." Faye responded, gesturing to the duffel bag she had brought with her.

"Sounds good." Henry acknowledged, rising up from his own spot at the table. "Well, let it never be said that I denied having a bit of fun. Shall we be off?" He asked warmly, hiding his excitement of being able to actually _stay_ with Heather...or Faye…longer than a few minutes.

Faye couldn't help but to split a genuine smile across her lips that seemed to light up her entire face. Really, even when the entire town was against him and he had every reason to be angry and agitated, he continued to just be…himself, a trait that she found most appealing in a man.

XXX

Mark walked Grip down the street nonchalantly, holding the dog's leash in one hand while the other occupied his jacket pocket. Though his expression remained one of clear indifference, many thoughts ran in his mind. Miners Day was today, and he'd undoubtedly be volunteering at the nunnery as he always did. It was one of the few places where he showed any bit of true emotions, and the nuns loved having him as a volunteer. But now it seemed Mr. Gold was pricing rent higher and higher - and Miners Day was the one day in Storybrooke that the nuns could hope to pull in enough extra money to pay what was due.

Mark sneered visibly. Mr. Gold was never a pleasant man to deal with - but pulling every cent he could from _nuns_? That was simply cruel.

He stopped just outside Granny's, tying Grip's leash around a nearby lamp post. "Now, don't worry, boy. I'm just gonna go in and grab a coffee, alright? Be good - I won't be long." He told the dog, scratching him behind the ears and earning himself a happy bark and lick in response. Mark merely smiled - a true _sincere_ smile before heading inside the diner. As he did, he couldn't help but notice Henry Carlyle leaving the bed & breakfast with Dr. Stevenson following close behind him, the two sharing a secret smile in what Mark could only assume was some sort of unspoken understanding of whatever the two had been talking about before he had happened upon the scene.

Personally, Mark didn't believe _The Daily Mirror_ one bit, but knew that something was off about Henry - as if he had become more introverted and cold, as made even more evident by his new change in clothes.

"Poor sod." Mark added indifferently before stepping up to the counter and ordering his drink.

XXX

There was something absolutely magical in the air that day, and Regina couldn't help but to feel that Miners Day wasn't even the half of it. She hung up the office phone and looked over at Mason who was playing with his new train set just in front of her desk and smiled warmly. Things could have not been going better for The Mayor of Storybrooke. Henry was no doubt on his way out of Storybrooke by now (with no one wanting him to stay, who would allow him a room when Granny's of all people kicked him out? He couldn't live in his car forever), she had recently discovered the patch to mend her scarred heart to be filled with love, and the late-nights with Robert only proved to be fruitful.

"C'mon Mason, I'm finished for today. I told you it wouldn't take very long." Regina said pushing herself from her chair to join Mason at his side. "Just leave your train set here, we can pick you up another for home."

"Are we going to Miners Day?" Mason asked eagerly, folding his hand into Regina's out of habit. Regina nodded and smiled, running her fingers through his thick head of brown hair.

"Just as I promised. Maybe we can see about someone getting you a haircut too."

The two smiled at one another, both basking in the warming love that they both desperately needed. An unspoken bond had formed between the boy and Regina over the last week. Wherever Mason went, Regina wasn't to be found too far away. Even at school, Regina made a point to pick him up and drop him off at exactly the times needed to be able to spend the most amount of time with him. She also made a habit of joining him for lunch, whether it was taking him something in a Hulk lunchbox she let him pick out, or taking him to Granny's.

The warmer changes in Regina's heart started coming out visibly as well, as today she had undergone the silk shirts and dress pants. Today, instead she wore a tight-fitting black turtleneck and blue jeans; practical for the normal person's everyday use, but still holding an air of class when Regina wore it.

The duo left Regina's office after Regina had locked it up tight and set up the security alarm, and made their way down to the heart of Storybrooke to see what it is they could find this year...but unlike last year, they had someone to do it with together.

XXX

In a more unruly town, Miner's day would be the worst day of the year for the police, but in Storybrooke even shoplifting was exceedingly rare. Robert had revised his patrol route for the day, spending most of his time walking around on foot to watch the merchant's stalls. No one had any problems to report as of yet, but he asked around anyway, always telling them to call him if they needed anything.

It had been over a week since the visitor first arrived, and the town had returned to its normal sleepy self, albeit a new bit of gossip at the newcomer's expense. Henry was still in town, but Robert believed wouldn't be sticking around for long, his reputation had been severely tarnished. He still had no idea what he was even doing in town in the first place; he had no friends or family living to visit. There had been no new sightings of the mysterious woman either, and even though Dr. Stevenson had been willing to help, she had no information on her. There were also several other unresolved cases, which troubled Robert greatly.

He sat down for a moment in a spot where he had a clear view of the main line of stalls, and pulled out his notebook and paper. He looked over the facts of the case of the tax money. Regina had reported the money missing, and he saw it in Henry's car, but Henry had no prints on it. Every time he asked for more details, Regina blew him off. The fact that he had seen them talking to each other seemingly amicably only raised more questions, why would The Mayor befriend someone who she knew had stolen from her?

He also didn't like Regina's refusal to report Mason's case to Child Protective Service either, or how she implied that she had illegally accessed Dr. Hopper's files. He could never remember Regina as anything except a law abiding and just mayor; these actions were not something he'd expect from her. Even his own relationship with her seemed off; he didn't enjoy being with her and could not understand why he had come over to her house for "wine" so many times in the past. If this change in Regina was permanent, he would definitely regret being the town sheriff.

While he was sitting there, he made a list of all the strange occurrences that had been happening lately. _Mason, Henry, Tax money, Mysterious woman, Jail escape, Earthquake, Regina's changes, Thing underneath h-_. Robert stopped in the middle of writing the list, realizing that it was distracting him. Sometime, he'd have to confront Regina about these, but he wanted to be careful. Offending her would mean losing the closest thing he had to a friend, dooming him to more nights of drinking at home and reading Flaubert.

He quickly put his notes away and began his patrols around the stalls once again. It was only a handful of moments later that Robert happened to see Regina and Mason walking around the town square, shopping at the various stalls. He thought that now might be a good a time to bring up his concerns with her while they were all still fresh on his mind. Maybe he could even make sure if Mason was ok, he was beginning to doubt whether Regina would be a good parent.

If this had just been any 'Miners Day,' Regina would have been found sticking her nose up at the little trinket booths and poorly put together fundraisers but this year, she had Mason. She couldn't deny the boy the way he looked with wide eyes and wonder at Marco's small toy stall, particularly fawning over a small, hand-blown glass figurine of a wire-haired terrier.

"These prices are a bit steep..." Regina said checking the paper tag on the dog, her voice not at all amused as she looked up at Marco with a slight glare.

"Twenty-five percent of the proceedings go to the children in the hospital." Marco said with a pleased smile, though faltering when Regina's expression didn't change.

"I'll give you seven dollars, and you can give twenty-five percent of _that_ to your charity." Regina handed the small glass figure to Mason and began to dig through her purse.

Robert hated to interrupt Regina's moments with Mason, but he knew that the opportunity was fleeting. He walked closer to them, standing off to the side while giving his attention to Marco.

"If you have any problems with a customer, let me know. I can sort it out, no matter who it is." He was trying to give a subtle hint that Regina really should have paid full price.

Regina lifted her head from digging through her purse and looked up at Robert with a cold glare.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked, straightening up her back. She was still shorter than Robert, but height alone had never been much to intimidate her.

"Just trying to help all of Storybrooke's residents. How've you two been, enjoying your time together? Mason's gonna have to meet with some people to find a more permanent home soon, I hope you guys have some fun today." Robert had read in books that he was supposed to "sugrarcoat" the bad news, but that advice was intended for someone who actually had social skills.

Regina flinched, but her mouth remained shut until she turned around and got back onto her knee, looking at Mason and running her fingers through his wild brown hair.

"Mason, why don't you run home and put your new little trinket into your bedroom?" She suggested, her voice eerily calm from what it had been just a few moments back. "And then on your way back, pick some apples from my tree, we can have a snack at the park later." She patted Mason and he was on his way.

Regina seemed to ignore the look on Marco's face when the boy had run off with one of his figurines without paying, but at Regina stood back up she slapped a twenty down onto the booth, however her eyes never left Robert's.

"What are you saying?" She asked, her eyes narrowing, _daring_ him to suggest anything that might entail Mason having to leave her custody.

"The law is clear; we need to take him to the regional office in Boston to get him in the system. I'm sure that when he's up for adoption, you'll be at the top of the list, but you do need to go through the proper channels." Robert's voice was as firm and unchanging as ever, he treated this like dealing with any other disobedient citizen.

"I am NOT taking him to Boston." Regina replied, feeling Marco wince at her raised voice. "We both know that's not how the system works, I'll never see him again and he'll be thrown into some house where he's just a meal ticket!" Regina could feel her eyes growing wet, but remained strong under the terms that no tear fell. She shook her head lightly to keep it so, and took a deep breath before she really lost it.

"Robert, I'm begging you. Overlook what the state says, no one here will blame you. Word won't get out, that I can promise. I need him. I need my son..."

"It doesn't matter who knows, what matters is that there are laws, put in place to determine the right decisions are made. As mayor, surely you can understand that. Maybe in the past I would have let this slide, believed that you were the perfect parent for him, but recent events have made me less sure. This decision will shape the rest of his life; I cannot leave it solely up to us."

Regina bit down on her cheek a bit, her eyes wandering to anywhere really, anywhere but on Robert. She crossed her arms over her chest, letting her hands run up and down her arms as if trying to give herself some sort of comfort.

"What do you want Robert? A raise? Whatever the price I'll do it."

"I want you to tell me what time I can expect to pick up Mason tomorrow. While you're at it, I have a lot more questions that you've been avoiding. Why did you have dinner with a man who you saw steal your tax money, somehow without leaving a single fingerprint on the envelope? How did you obtain a psychiatrist's private files? When something happens in an abandoned mine that registers on the Richter scale, why seal it off that very afternoon? What happened to the Regina I remember, the one who would've been answering these questions without hesitation?"

Regina couldn't help but to look around, seeing if anyone...important might be around to hear this conversation. The last thing she needed was Sidney snooping around for a greasy story for tomorrow's paper or Mr. Gold to use the information as leverage against her in some unholy way.

"You're over the line Robert." Regina warned him in a low tone. "Now back off before you regret it."

"As long as I am sheriff, I will do what it takes to keep Storybrooke safe and ensure that everyone follows the law. Tell Mason I'll see him tomorrow." Robert had said what he wanted to, and walked off, continuing his patrol.

"I made you sheriff, Robert!" Regina called after him, her voice cracking just a bit as the tears started coming back. "I can take that away you know!" She breathed heavily out her nose as Robert continued to walk on, her cold eyes snapping over at Marco who had gone extremely pale-faced suddenly.

"What are you looking at wood shaver? One remark out of you and I'll have your boy ripped out of school for vandalism."

It wasn't so much of a slam on Marco as it was to Gepetto, but it made her feel just a bit better as she stormed away from his stall in order to find the one man in Storybooke that could help her right now.

XXX

_Many, many years ago…_

_Dawn came, but Rumpelstiltskin hadn't slept a wink. How could he when he knew the fate of his wife and child, never to see them again? They were dead, claimed by the sea in its roiling wake. There had to be a way to get them back, somehow. He was The Dark One, anything was possible, right? He couldn't think of that now, not when he was about to receive vengeance for the death of his family._

_Rumpelstiltskin sat atop an archway adjoining two roofs, awaiting the pirate Killian Jones to arrive just as he had set it up the night before. His bloodshot eyes scanned the streets until finally, the pirate made himself known. From his spot on the archway, Rumpelstiltskin tossed down an old, rusty sword at Killian's feet, causing the pirate to pause and look up at the monster._

_"Pick it up dearie, and let's begin!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted down to the pirate._

_"There's no need." Killian replied, keeping his eyes on Rumpelstiltskin as he moved his hand to grab at his own sword, but forced to look at the sheath as his hand found it empty._

_"Sorry…" Rumpelstiltskin's voice came from directly behind Killian, catching the pirate off guard. "…but killing a man with his own sword is just __**too**__ delicious to pass up."_

_Killian turned to see his very own sword in the hand of Rumpelstiltskin, and was then forced to pick up the older sword that the monster had thrown at his feet earlier. He took a moment to test the blades weight, and suddenly lashed out at Rumpelstiltskin with a powerful swing down of the sword, aiming to get this duel over and done with as soon as possible._

_Rumpelstiltskin showed no inexperience with the pirate's sword, as each strike was so easily parried by The Dark One that he even took it a step further and rested his free hand behind his back. They continued to strike their blades together, time and time again until Killian was sure that he had him and swung indefinitely, however The Dark One was no longer there; vanished into nothing but air._

_"Ships that pass in the night?" Rumpelstiltskin asked from behind Killian. "Well…at least one ship…"_

_Killian went at Rumpelstiltskin once more, making Rumpelstiltskin take a step back with each blow until once more he was sure he had him until Rumpelstiltskin caught his sword with his own and forced Killian forward, knocking over a stack of barrels and falling to the stone ground. He quickly got up, refusing to give up the fight and attacked the monster again with a shout of anger that echoed into the darkness of dawn._

_Rumpelstiltskin, again blocked each blow, using his foot to kick Killian back a few paces once and when the pirate returned. He used his free hand for the first time to punch the pirate in the face, again causing the pirate to stagger back. Killian went back at him blindly, swinging his sword with fury and lunging to catch even just the reptilian clothing of the beast but Rumpelstiltskin slapped his sword down, and kicked him down onto his chest with his boot._

_Killian got back onto his feet, only stopping when he was on a single knee to see that his own sword was pointed directly at him, Rumpelstiltskin had won the duel; it was over._

_"Go on, I'm ready for the sword." Killian said bravely, looking up into the monster's eyes that glared down upon him. Rumpelstiltskin raised the tip of the sword to Killian's neck and studied his face carefully._

_"No…" Rumpelstiltskin said through his gnashing teeth. He bent down at the torso a bit, getting on a closer level to Killian's face though keeping the sword tip at the pirate's throat. "Do you know what its like-" He asked. "-to have your family stolen from you? To feel powerless to stop it? It feels as if your heart has been ripped from your chest." Rumpelstiltskin straightened up and lowered the sword._

_"Actually, let me show you…" He plunged his hand forward, and Killian found the hand of the monster slide into his chest as if he were made of sawdust. A sharp, pained sound came from the pirate's throat as he suddenly felt Rumpelstiltskin's hand close around his heart and squeezed down hard._

_"NO! STOP!"_

_Rumpelstiltskin, with his hand deep in the chest of the man who had stolen Milah and Baelfire, turned his head to see…a ghost?_

_"Milah?" Rumpelstiltskin's dark eyes widened, unbelieving of what he was seeing. It was Milah alright, done with the tattered and worn dresses he was able to provide for her and instead donned the apparel of a pirate. She hadn't run away after all, she had __**left**__ him._

XXX

Against his better judgment, Mr. Gold closed up shop early that day. He really wasn't one for traditions, and the pointless one belonging to the town only known as Miners Day; a made-up holiday simply to bring the town together in some bullshit attempt at 'togetherness.' As Mr. Gold locked up his shop, he couldn't help but to sneer as two children chased each other, a race to see who could get to Granny's bakery booth first. One of them was bound to trip over their untied shoelaces and bust up their knee pretty badly, and then he would be stuck hearing their snot-nosed whimpers of pain.

Before that could even become a possibility, he took hold of his cane and limped down the street in the opposite direction. It would be a longer route to get to the heart of Storybrooke, but it was also a route that would be less populated, and he wasn't much in the mood for striking any new deals today. He did, however, need to make a short stop to visit his dear friend Mother Superior.

"You're raising the rent again?" Mother Superior, despite her quiet and pristine manner, couldn't help but to vocalize her worries at a steadily louder volume than deemed appropriate coming from a nun. Thankfully, everyone else was at Miners Day already and none to overhear them.

"You were twenty-three minutes late on last months; did you sincerely think that wouldn't come with its consequences?" Mr. Gold asked in an almost pleasant tone.

"But…but it's Miners Day! The nuns, we've all put in what we had left for our preparations. We'd have to sell every candle to be able to afford double rent!"

"That…" Mr. Gold said twisting his cane around a bit to keep his hands occupied with something. "…is not my problem. I'll be by later tonight to collect."

Without another word, Mr. Gold made his way off of the porch and back onto the street, whistling a merry tune to himself that sounded much like 'hi-ho' from the Disney version of Snow White.

It took Mark a few more minutes than usual to get from Granny's to the Convent as Grip felt the need to investigate and/or urinate on every new sight and smell he encountered. Mark kept up the pace, though, and managed to make it to the nunnery in good time - walking past an...almost pleased looking Mr. Gold, who whistled quite a merry tune while strolling past the building.

"That can't be good." Mark commented to no-one-in-particular, a certain sense of dread to his tone.

He tied Grip's leash to a lamp-post before heading towards the building, looking for Mother Superior. The woman hadn't budged from her position on the patio in front of the church, her head face-down in her gloved hands as she tried to keep from crying. Mark stepped out onto the patio, his eyes instinctively doing a quick sweep of the area (habit from being a fireman) before landing on the head nun, who appeared quite distressed. He stood still for a moment, unsure of how to go about this before approaching slowly, his face...empathetic, for once.

"Mother Superior, what happened?" He asked concernedly, his eyes narrowing as a theory entered his mind. "Did Mr. Gold do something to you?" He added on, looking almost upset himself. There's a special place in hell for someone who makes nuns cry.

The tiny woman jumped at Mark's voice, startled to have someone approach her in such a vulnerable position. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and forced on a smile.

"Oh, oh no, no...he didn't do anything." She tried to assure both herself and Mark with a couple awkward placed nods. "It was just...just a friendly reminder."

Mark quite plainly didn't believe her, tapping his foot on the floor almost rhythmically.

"A reminder for what?" He asked gravely, though his eyes remained soft.

"We..." Mother Superior fidgeted with her fingers, struggling to find the right words that wouldn't make Mr. Gold angry in anyway. God knew he had eyes and ears everywhere. "...we were late on last month's rent, and as penance, this month's rent has been doubled-"

"Doubled?!" Mark repeated in utter disbelief. It had taken a lot of effort to pay up last month's rent, let alone twice the amount. He began pacing about the porch, apparently thinking hard for a solution. "What...what can we do?" He asked, stopping to look at her again.

Mother Superior blinked...twice.

"W-we?" She asked. "Oh Mr. Dufresne, don't trouble yourself with our problems. We'll manage. We...we have candles to sell this year, as we did last year. We'll manage..." The shakiness in her voice revealed, however, they wouldn't.

Mark turned his head to look out at the crowds enjoying the festivities of Miner's Day in the distance, his expression turning indifferent and cold for a moment before softening as he turned to Mother Superior again.

"There's enough people out there...I'll see about getting some volunteers and getting your candles sold." As if to emphasize, he placed a firm but gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll make sure the nunnery stays open, even if I have to buy them all myself." He said with resolve, looking fully confident.

"I-" Mother Superior struggled to meet Mark's gaze, her cheeks flushing from not embarrassment, but in gratitude for the kind hearted man standing in front of her. "Thank you..." She finally decided upon, her smile easing into that of becoming genuine. "We sold forty-three last year, this year, if we're to meet Mr. Gold's price...we need to sell them all...by tonight."

Mark nodded sharply, unable to help a smile of his own peeking through - warm, friendly, _human_.

"It'll get done!" He said one last time before quite hastily making his way out of the church: he had a _lot_ of work to do.

XXX

Ruby glanced up at the blue-lit analog clock that hung up on the wall behind the counter in Granny's Diner. Only ten more minutes before Granny's would be closing for the day, and she couldn't have been more relieved. That morning had been busy to say the least, helping Granny back in the kitchen cooking up enough sweets and pastries to put an entire army into a coma, and what made it worse was that Knox had been roped into working that day and was unable to help her pass the time.

Ruby quickly headed out of the kitchens, covered in a light sheen of sweat only to start wiping down the emptying tables in the diner, finding that only one customer remained; Mayor Mills' little lap dog for _The Daily Mirror_. She couldn't help but to glare, if just a bit in Sidney Glass' general direction. How could she respect a man who so blatantly dragged someone as sweet as Henry Carlyle through the mud the way he did? Of course Regina was the puppet master, but Sidney didn't _have_ to comply.

She quickly finished all the tables but Sidney's, allowing the writer at least five more minutes before she would have to say something in regards to having to leave so they could close. Ruby then went back into the kitchens to see what else she could help Granny with and began to package the goods to transfer downtown.

"I haven't seen your broody friend in here today..." Granny commented, bustling around the steamy kitchen in order to find another box large enough to carry the freshly baked cookies.

"He's not broody." Ruby quickly commented, but couldn't help but smile as she was brought back to thinking about him for the hundredth time that day. "He had to work."

Things between her and Knox had been, toned down to say the least. Both of them had been increasingly busy as of late, her with Miners Day preparations and him with...well, his work. Sometimes she wondered if he actually _liked_ putting in extra hours. She had tried on a number of occasions to get him to take a day off, or at least a few hours so they could go for a walk or catch a movie or..._something_ that normal couples would do, but there seemed to always be something else that came up; like an unseen force that was keeping them from being together.

Tonight wouldn't be any different either. The biggest day in Storybrooke, and she probably wouldn't even see him until her morning shift where he ordered cheese fries and coffee and she prayed to God that it wouldn't be busy with customers so she could sit down and drink a strawberry smoothie with him.

But at least there was just that, moments to be shared with Knox at the diner. Nothing could ever take that away from Ruby, savoring the new moments in life that filled the security guard's head with confusion.

Previously, there was Ruby running around the diner with little reservations on her choice of dress, heavier make up and clothing. Knox supposed the switch up was what caught his attention the most, and not in a cautious or disturbed way, per se. Longer material uniform, instead of short shorts, no makeup…the security guard caught himself staring and trying to remember what she looked like with shorts, essentially imagining the waitress with less clothing. Gods, was he finally seeing her for what she was? At one point, he almost choked when Ruby bent over a table wearing skinny jeans…much to the confusion of the good people sitting in the booth over.

Feeling none too pleased with himself over his new found morning distractedness, the man could only force himself to stare into the girl's face when she got close enough and make on topic conversation, remember that the fries were for eating. Ruby herself, the memory of their...time together, the 'small' interactions...were what kept his attention, among the other things. Catching her eye, staring at her soft lips, exchanging an apologetic look when something came up to keep them apart, occasional physical contact that Knox otherwise previously never noticed (hands touching, shoulder pats, the occasional poke to the ribs)…and, on the other end of things, there was the usual morning to noon activity of watching security footage or checking the sign-in logs, and night shift as an actual patrol around the hospital.

Not much would change, with the up and coming annual Miner's day, only that Knox would be needed in the hospital more than ever. Quite a number of regular security staff was off to enjoy the activity, so Knox felt compelled to stay to make sure nothing went wrong with the decrease in their regular numbers. With Jane Doe being kissed inappropriately on a regular, full staffed day, you can never be too careful…or paranoid.

Granny just made a 'mhhm' noise from her throat and handed Ruby a collapsed box.

"Put that together will ya? When you're done go ahead and start filling your car and head on down, perhaps we can get a good spot this year."

Ruby complied and put the box together after finding the duct tape, deciding to take the back exit to begin filling her car with the already packaged boxes to keep from having to make eye contact with the chief editor of their local newspaper.

**Author's Note:**

**So a bit of a read here, lots of characters all doing different things to prepare for Miners Day, but the next chapter will be bringing a lot of them together and I'm hoping that by next chapter Miner's Day will have come to a conclusion. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	14. Chapter 14: The Trouble With Nuns

**Author's Note:**

**So I'm starting to wonder if there are ****_too_**** many original characters in this story, and I would like to hear from you guys about the matter. There won't be any ****_new_**** original characters introduced into the story for a while yet (probably not until book 2 even) so perhaps that will help ease some of your concerns. Also, we get more David Nolan in this chapter! He's steadily becoming more important as the story goes on (and we all know why XD). Happy reading!**

"Something tells me this isn't going to be pleasant." He said, somewhat dryly, stopping for the moment to adjust the collar of his shirt in one of the shop windows they had passed on their way to the booth. He had taken one look at the t-shirt Faye had brought for him to change into back at Granny's before they had left and decided immediately that he would rather wear his own clothes. The shirt wasn't anything extravagant, nor anything he would wear willingly as it was just a bland, dark blue t-shirt with the hospital's name written across the front; not nearly flashy enough for Henry's standards.

"You never know, it could turn out to be a fun experience." Faye laughed, stopping with him to allow his quick adjustment.

"I should hope you don't laugh _too_ hard at my expense, doctor. I'd like at least a shred of dignity by the festival's end." He said with a small smirk, a warm, almost playful tone to his voice: which only seemed to come out more around her as time went on.

"Oh don't worry, I highly doubt [i]anyone[/i] could lose their dignity by volunteering for such a good cause." She assured him, silently studying the way that he adjusted his shirt in his reflection. "Are you sure you don't want to wear the hospital t-shirt that was provided?"

Henry smiled slightly wider at her question.

"Faye, can you honestly see me wearing a t-shirt and swim trunks?" He asked with a small chuckle. "If I'm going to make so wide a public appearance, I might as well look my best." He added, wondering internally if she was admiring him or not.

Faye shrugged and answered, leading the way to the Storybrooke hospital booth,

"Okay, but I bet you'll be wanting that t-Shirt and swim trunks after this event. It's only going to get colder for you."

Henry couldn't help but to notice that as they walked, the small amount of people that they had passed along the way were going out of their way to not just avoid [i]him[/i] anymore, but Faye as well. His lips pressed into a fine line. Now how was that fair? From what he could tell the people of Storybrooke loved the good doctor, and now just by association people were avoiding her like the plague.

Finally the duo reached the center of Storybrooke and Faye led him over to the hospital's booth. Next to the booth was a giant dunk tank, colored only in primary colors and bigger than Henry had been expecting. When they arrived, Dr. Whale ran up to her, not seeming to notice that she was with Henry.

"Dr. Stevenson! We still don't have a volunteer, what-" He stopped when he finally took notice of Henry and asked warily, "What is _he_ doing here?"

"Dr. Whale. Henry Carlyle has agreed to be our dunk tank victim." Faye said simply, raising her eyebrows as if to ask if this was going to be a problem. Dr. Whale seemed to do a double take between her and Henry, shaking his head in disappointment.

"You _cannot_ be serious, Dr. Stevens-"

"-I am serious, Dr. Whale." She quickly interrupted him.

"Public humiliation? Seems appropriate enough to me, wouldn't you agree, Dr. Whale?" Henry asked dryly, stepping up to the tank without waiting for an answer. "Shall I step in?" He asked, looking to Faye.

Faye nodded and answered in a semi-joking tone,

"Go ahead, Mr. Carlyle. Your throne awaits." Just as Dr. Whale was about to protest, Faye beat him to it. "Dr. Whale, you can go ahead and spread word that the dunk tank booth is now open for patrons."

Dr. Whale clenched his teeth but went off to do as Faye had told him to. Losing his job over such a trivial matter just wasn't worth it…today. Henry untucked his shirt and mussed up his hair a bit before stepping up the short ladder behind the tank; sitting quite comfortably on the chair that sat just above the still pool of water as Faye moved to stand behind the booth next to the tank, waiting for customers to line up for the chance of dunking the newcomer.

"Just to let you know right now, I'm going to try and get as much water as humanly possible on you." Henry said looking down on Faye with a slight smile, his tone serious, but a small glint in his eye signaled amusement - though the smile not giving an inch either way as to whether the threat was serious or not.

"I've got my eye on you." Faye replied with a smile of her own.

Ruby had just arrived on the scene, heaving a box that was probably twice her weight in cookies, only too glad to set it down next to the booth that was beside the water dunking tank. She only got in two good breaths when she realized just who she was beside, and her lips split into a wide grin.

"I see you got your volunteer!" Ruby said with amusement to Faye, all the while looking up at Henry perched precariously on the dunk-tank seat.

Faye looked to Ruby, smiling happily as she greeted,

"Hi Ruby! Yes, he was the only volunteer, so how could we refuse? Would you like to be the first one to dunk Henry into the tank?"

Henry waved to Ruby as she arrived before placing both hands on his knees, looking about the town square with obvious interest. One with trained ears could have heard him mumbling a song under his breath, most likely a nervous tic. However, he quickly came to attention at the mention of Ruby being the first 'lucky' contestant, his eyes widening in fear.

"Have mercy." He said half-heartedly, playing the part of a literal victim well enough.

Ruby's eyes seemed to brighten at the idea, but then looking at the baseballs that were provided to throw at the itty-bitty target her smile faltered.

"I've never been too good with sports, he might not get wet." She said shifting her weight onto her opposite leg. She looked around them, unsurprised to find that no one else was jumping to the opportunity, more like avoiding the dunk tank altogether. Her face became serious, biting onto her lower lip in thought. If this dunk tank was going to get any attention, then something big had to happen.

Ruby turned back around quickly and pulled a five dollar bill out of her pocket and handed it to Faye and took it upon herself to grab the first ball.

Faye took the five dollar bill in surprise that quickly turned into happiness, even though the original price was $1.00 per ball or $3.00 for 5 balls.

"You should have left Storybrooke when you had the chance!" Ruby yelled, pulling her arm back and flung the ball awkwardly, missing the target a good ways away but her determined face kept vigil. She grabbed the second ball and threw it with the same amount of luck.

Faye watched as Ruby threw the balls, giving words of encouragement to Ruby to keep on trying and to show the newcomer what for! As Ruby did this, she noticed that the people nearby watched, the scene. Some looked as though they were getting the idea of doing the same thing.

"How could you? You creep!" Ruby grabbed another ball, this one dropping behind her before being able to be thrown forward. Henry's expression had turned mocking as Ruby failed (quite miserably) at hitting the target. No doubt that the hilarity of her attempts was just as inviting to the other citizens.

Ruby watched the ball roll down the street just a few feet before a high-heeled foot stepped onto the baseball, stopping it in its place. Ruby looked up from the shoe, up the blue jeans and black turtleneck until her eyes landed on Regina, looking at the baseball underneath her foot as if she had just stepped in a pile of manure.

The Mayor stooped down to pick up the baseball before looking over at Henry, tossing the baseball up and down in her hand, contemplating what to do with it. This seemed to catch the attention of those walking by, all stopping in their tracks, wondering with deep intent on what their Mayor was going to do next. Henry's eyes locked hard onto hers, a sly smirk at the corner of his mouth as he awaited her next move.

A muscle in Regina's lip twitched. There was so much going on in her head at the moment that she didn't even think about the consequences of what she did next might wrought down on her. With strength that even surprised her, Regina threw the ball with precise accuracy, nailing the small red circle in the middle of the target.

"Oh, Dear." Henry barely managed to say as the ball hit the target. A loud _'DING!'_ resounded right after Regina hit the target, and the seat dropped Henry right into the tank, earning a laugh from Faye and everyone who was watching. Faye called to the people who had their attention on what was happening,

"Let's give it up for Ruby and Madam Mayor everyone!" She started to clapping and it didn't take everyone long to do the same. She looked at Henry as he re-surfaced and she smiled her praises at him, silently telling him that this wouldn't have been possible without him. Henry slowly lifted himself out of the tank, shivering and looking not-too-pleased at the moment, watching as people eagerly stepped in line, waiting for the chance to dunk the newcomer.

"I...f-forgot the...swim c-cap." He managed to say shakily, pointing to his wet, matted hair for emphasis.

Regina, on the other hand, seemed to have regretted her decision soon as Dr. Stevenson had turned her action into some sort of...heroic display. She could hear the crowd's eagerness to get in line behind her. She turned on her heel and pushed through them however, not wishing to stick around to be asked to do it again. It had felt good to dunk Henry into a bucket of ice-cold water yes, but now the people were starting to like him again...and this time it was her fault.

Ruby took the moment to step back to the booth, surprised to find Granny already there and with the boxes of sweets unpacked and ready to start selling.

"You did a good thing Ruby." Granny commended, not bothering to look up at her granddaughter as she did though, but Ruby was more than happy to take the compliment. Granny had plastered up a sign on Faye's booth, and now next to the 'ALS Dunk Tank Fundraiser' was now an added note,

_'$5.00 for a picture with town creep'_

Faye didn't turn Granny away. After the sign was up, she commented with a small smile,

"Good thing I brought a camera with me,"

Ruby, however, found her jaw dropping at the sign and elbowed the older woman in the ribs.

"A bit much don't you think?"

Granny just smiled.

"If you don't, I will!" Granny said pulling a five-dollar bill out of her purse and then moved to hurry in line leaving Ruby to tend their baking stand, shaking her head and laughing all the while.

Henry managed to climb back atop the seat, rubbing his arms furiously to generate a bit of warmth. His eyes gazed over at the sign Granny put up. His head cocked to the side in confusion for a moment.

"Five dollars for a picture, eh? I'd say charge seven. After all I'm in a...very wet white shirt." He added, pointing to his quite-visible chest through the sopped material, managing a short laugh before shaking his head furiously to clear out some of the water.

Faye chuckled and shook her head at his comment. After Regina left, nearly all of Storybrooke had stepped up and attempted to dunk Henry at least once. Some came back for more attempts, and there were some who paid extra for the picture as Granny advertised. Dr. Stevenson noticed that the only person she hadn't seen in line was Mr. Gold. But then, that was to be expected, and she wasn't complaining about his absence.

XXX

Mark was almost pleasant as he walked about the nunnery, offering friendly greetings and a smile to the nuns as he passed out of the church. In truth, he was extremely worried...he'd been helping the nuns during Miner's Day for as long as he could remember. It made him feel good, putting a smile on their faces, made him feel useful to Storybrooke and to himself.

His spirits weren't exactly lifted, however, when it finally sunk in that he would have to sell one _thousand _candles by tonight. However, Mark masked his worry and concern with an air of confidence and reassurance, praying to God that he would accomplish what seemed to him as so insurmountable a task.

The nun's helped him set up the candle booth in the hubbub of Miner's Day, stacking box after box of candles behind the stand to the point it looked like an indomitable wall. Mark sighed deeply, scratching the top of his head as he could only look behind him and see just how many candles he would have to sell...

Swallowing his fear once again, he mustered as much volume he could to his voice, reading off a pre-written advertisement from a small piece of paper.

"Buy your Miner's Day candles here! Handmade by Storybrooke's very own nuns! Light your way to a good cause!" His calls did little to attract any attention, at the most he was receiving slightly surprised looks that he was attending a booth.

Mark continued this process for what seemed like hours, reaching absolutely nowhere. Candles were almost old news by now, with electric lights and such - no one was interested anymore. Mark could do little but stand there, dejected, hoping someone would either take pity on him, or just put him out of his misery.

Mark left the stall after about half an hour to take a walk and clear his head. He had no worry about shoplifters - who the hell would run around stealing candles? He kept his pace slow and stiff, keeping both hands in his jacket pockets to preserve them from the still somewhat-chilly weather.

As Mark walked past the dunk tank and bakery stall (noticing Henry Carlyle as the quite-displeased victim), his eyes landed on Mason, who seemed to be lost - choosing to stay somewhere familiar instead of running off into the still-heavy crowds. Mark felt an...instinctive compulsion to check on the boy, blaming it on his fireman training. He approached the timid boy, squatting down to get on eye level.

"Hello Mason! Didn't think I'd see you here." He greeted friendlily, smiling softly. "You remember me, don't you?" He asked inquisitively. Mason nodded his head hastily, responding with a simple,

"Mark."

"That's right!' Mark replied in an encouraging tone. "Now then," he began, his voice turning slightly more serious - but not overly so. "You look lost...do you need me to help you find someone?" He asked, eyes locked with Mason's.

"I can't find my mom." The boy replied, chewing on his bottom lip by habit.

"Oh, I see." Mark replied empathetically before rising to his full height, masking the look of surprise that Regina had taken on such a title so early. He extended a single hand out from his pocket for Mason to take. "Come now, let's see if you and I can find her, eh?" He offered warmly.

Mason seemed to think on this proposal for a moment, as if weighing whether he'd want to stay where he was or not. But eventually, his own previous interaction with Mark, coupled with wanting to find Regina all the sooner won him over, and he took Mark's hand in his before the two of them went off on their search.

The lines at the dunk tank seemed to thin out as time progressed as people either were running out of spending money, or had their fill dunking the not-so-newcomer. Henry slowly climbed out of the booth for what was (hopefully) the last time. To say he was soaked would be an understatement, as water seemed to _constantly_ be dripping off him. His crisp white shirt, unfortunately, couldn't handle the ordeal, and had shrunk almost to a ridiculous point.

"Have your laugh while you will, doctor." Henry warned Faye, "I'm changing as _soon_ as possible." He said through chattering teeth. Damn this autumn Maine weather!

Faye was holding back her laughter by covering her mouth with a hand, but a few chuckles managed to slip out at his expense. She soon calmed down enough to answer Henry,

"I would say 'I told you so', but at this point, it would be rather redundant."

Granny, who had been quite jovial watching Henry's unofficial punishment, piped up from her own bakery stand,

"You look drenched, dear. Might be safer just to take your shirt off here."

Henry could only give the old woman a look that practically shouted "Really?" followed by Ruby jabbing the older woman in the ribs...again.

"Dr. Stevenson, would you kindly help me...waddle back to my car?" Henry asked, looking down at his rather-tight clothing that gave him an awkward gait. "I've got some spare clothes in my suitcase..." He added, pushing a bit of hair out of his face.

Faye nodded and chuckled,

"Yeah, I'll help." She held onto Henry's arm, in order to make sure that he didn't fall over from the awkward gait, and she led him to his car. "Well...that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Nah, not terribly bad." Henry agreed, undoing the first few buttons of his shirt to give him more mobility as he began searching through his suitcase as his car wasn't too far from where they had started. "Ah, here we are!" He exclaimed after a few moments, drawing a few pieces of clothing from the case with a gleeful smile on his face.

"Where do I..." he stopped mid-sentence, looking around him with slight concern. "Where do I change?" He asked Faye, somewhat awkwardly; scratching the back of his head. He had _no_ qualms changing in front of her, or even in his car as he had grown used to, but with the heart of Storybrooke packed, and with his luck, both Regina and Robert would either get wind of it or spot him.

Faye blushed as she looked around and as she did, she answered, "Um...you could use the bathroom in the convenient store over there,"

Henry looked over at the direction where Faye suggested and nodded subtly.

"Yes, that would work excellently! Thank you!" He commended, gathering the dry, clean clothes in his arms. "You can just wait out here...I shouldn't be long." He said with a small smile, his eyes seeming to study her intently.

A silence seemed to fall on the street for about six minutes until he emerged once again in his smart looking long coat and suit.

"Ah, good! Much better than my other outfit, don't you think?" He asked with a grin, letting his hands go to his coat pockets by habit.

"Yeah, it is. You look very dapper." Faye had to agree.

Henry's smile only widened, obviously pleased by her compliment.

"No time to waste then, we best be heading back to the town square; I think I've had enough water to last me the day." He quipped with a small smirk, resisting the urge to offer his hand for her to take - a visible look of conflict on his face for a split-second before turning jovial once again.

"I'm sure Granny would say otherwise." Faye teased as she walked with Henry back to the booth.

"Ah, well, I can't blame her." Henry said in a tone that was both serious and amused at the same time. "I..." He abruptly stopped, clearing his throat as he expected her to do the same. "I enjoyed working with you-" _'Heather'_ he thought, "-Faye." He said warmly, a sincere smile on his lips.

"So did I, Henry." She looked around at the people around them, none of which seemed to be holding the cold look of distain on their faces as they noticed Henry; at least not as much as they had been earlier that day. "And I think...the rest of Storybrooke enjoyed our work too."

"Yes, I agree!" Henry replied cheerily, though his eyes didn't leave her to look around. "I don't think I ever told you - thank you...for believing in me when no one else did." He said sincerely, if not somewhat uncomfortably; not at the words, but the subject matter.

Faye looked back to him and she couldn't help but remember her questions about why she trusted him. Her smile faded a bit at the thoughts but she quickly regained it as she pushed those thought to the back of her mind.

"Oh, it's really no trouble at all."

Henry nodded, smiling slightly in return before turning to walk again; looking back over his shoulder to see if Faye was keeping up. The two of them eventually made it back to the stand; Henry forced to deal with the sour looks that Granny kept on giving him, seeming to be pestering Ruby about something who made a point to ignore her grandmother by going out of her way to bring in people to buying their cookies.

Henry smirked at the both of them, reaching into his pocket for his gloves when he felt someone clip his shoulder while walking past. Both Henry, and the person who bumped into him turned around at once, revealing a rather-agitated looking Mark who was rubbing his shoulder and staring daggers into Henry; as thought the latter had personally attacked him.

"Oh! Sorry, mate." Henry bid with a forgiving smile, his blue eyes looking from the shorter man to Mason, who's smaller hand was clinging on tightly to Mark's own. "Mason?" Henry started, confused. "Where's Regina at?" He asked, perplexed.

Before Mason could answer, however, Mark butted in,

"We don't know, so we're trying to find her - now if you would excuse us." Without another word, Mark had already turned to leave, the young boy in tow.

"Wait just a second." Henry objected, successfully resulting in Mark stopping to look back at him. "You were the one working the candle stall, weren't you?" Henry asked with an almost-mischievous smile crossing his lips.

"Yes, what of it?" Mark returned, sounding quite impatient.

"Well, I noticed things weren't going so well for you there - so I'm offering you my services!" Henry offered, pointing to himself with a single gloved hand.

"No." Mark responded bluntly before turning to leave again.

"You're making a mistake, friend." Henry began, letting both hands go to his pockets. "Think about it, you now have an extra hand selling those candles, and an extra set of eyes to find the boy's..." he stopped for a moment, as if trying to figure out how Mason and Regina referred to each other these days.

"Mom." Mason finally finished, looking quite confused as it seemed his teacher didn't know what a mother was.

"Oh! Yes, quite right. Sorry! Got tongue-tied for a moment, it seems. Thank you, Mason." Henry commended, clasping the boy's shoulder with an approving nod.

Mark, too, seemed to think over Henry's offer with a conflicted look on his face.

"Alright, fine, if you think you can sell those candles then I'll take all the help I can get." He finally agreed, though his tone still remained unfriendly and distant.

"Good show! I knew you had brains in you, Tin Man." Henry joked with a cheeky grin.

"My name is Mark." Mark replied curtly, obviously finding no amusement in the nickname that seemed to be spreading no thanks to Leroy and his fellow firemen.

"Come now, lighten up! You're not going to sell candles looking like your dog just died." Henry said, trying to goad Mark into a more pleasant expression.

"Don't joke about that." Mark warned before turning to leave once more, but this time looking back on occasion to see if Henry was following.

Faye listened to the whole of the conversation, and before Mark could leave, she called to him politely,

"Mr. Dufresne. Would you mind if I helped out as well?"

Mark stopped once more as another voice called his name. He was about to turn and sternly silence the person speaking when he saw it was Faye Stevenson.

"Oh...Doctor, good afternoon." He greeted politely, (earning a strange look from Henry at the man's sudden courtesy). "Yes, I could most certainly use your help...we need to sell one thousand candles by tonight...I'm not going to lie, it's going to be an extremely difficult task. But if you could take a few dozen to the hospital and see if anyone's interested, I'd be much obliged. I'll take the creep and go local." He finished, motioning to Henry as he said the word 'creep'.

"Oi! I'm trying to help you! No need to call me names, _Tin Man_." Henry objected with a slight sneer, earning another glare from Mark.

"Henry, Mark. This is no time to be fighting. We have candles to sell." She reprimanded sternly, then looked to Mark and she asked, her tone slowly going back to normal. "Now, how many candles have you sold thus far?"

Henry and Mark shared one last glare after Faye chastised them, acting more like young children than adults. But Mark quickly switched gears back to the matter at hand, still keeping a tight hold onto the growingly-impatient Mason, who was _not_ in the mood to be standing around.

"Um...none." He finally confessed sheepishly, looking back at the candle stall with the giant stack of boxes.

Faye nodded at his answer, biting at her bottom lip in thought, and remained silent for a few seconds before she said with an optimistic tone,

"Alright. Then what are we standing here for? Let's get to work."

Mark nodded sharply before taking Mason to the stall where the seemingly-impenetrable wall of boxes cast an almost intimidating light.

"Mr. Carlyle, you and I will take a few boxes and go door-to-door locally. Dr. Stevenson will take a few more to the hospital to see if anyone's interested. Then when we've run out...hopefully...we'll meet back here to get more-"

"What about my mom?" Mason objected in a somewhat agitated tone.

"And to find Regina." Mark added in an almost hopeful tone. "Now then, let's move out, shall we?" He asked. Without waiting for an answer, he headed over to the box wall and began pulling a few boxes down onto the ground for easier access.

The doctor nodded in response to Mark's question as she headed over and picked up a box full of candles. The box felt heavy in her arms, but she was able to lift it without complaint.

Mark wordlessly stacked two boxes atop another, lifting the small stack up with relative ease; wincing as his shoulder cried in protest...he hadn't taken his medication in a few hours and was suffering because of it.

Henry lifted one, himself, looking slightly struggled - he was never one for heavy lifting, himself. Mark had Mason carry the metal money box as the boy wanted to be of _some_ use to the small party (which Mark was more than happy to oblige).

"We'll be seeing you back here." Mark began to Faye. "Good luck, doctor!" He said confidentially before turning to walk towards the more residential part of Storybrooke, Henry and Mason following closely at his heels.

The candle plight seemed to go from utterly impossible to now relatively hopeless. They hadn't sold any so far, but Henry's skill with words and persuasion definitely helped in more ways than one - not to mention Mason's youthful appearance and disposition being a helpful leverage.

As the trio continued to walk past the town square, nearing the end of the most swollen part of the hub, both Mark and Henry noticed David Nolan browsing between the different stalls nonchalantly.

"Afternoon, David." Mark greeted simply, though his tone became slightly more conversational as he spoke. "Want to buy a candle?" He asked in a...halfhearted manner (earning yet _another_ outlandish look from Henry, who was surprised the fireman knew how to sound even _remotely_ lighthearted.)

David turned at hearing his name being called and grinned at seeing the three of them before him.

"Mark, Henry...Mason!" He put his hand into a fist and playfully jabbed Mason in the jaw, causing the kid to laugh in response. David then returned his fist to a relaxed hand position and stuffed it into the pocket of his worn blue jeans. "A candle huh? You mean the ones the nuns sell every year?" He asked, eying the box in Mark's possession.

"Indeed. Mr. Gold's doubled the rent on the nuns - only way they can afford to stay open is by selling all the candles." Mark replied in an almost bitter tone, though more directed at the pawnbroker than anything else.

"Of course he did..." David couldn't help but to roll his eyes at the heartlessness of the town Pawnbroker.

"If we can't sell a thousand by tonight, there's no way that Gold will let the nunnery stay open." Mark said, grinding his teeth slightly.

"Want to make it nine-hundred-ninety-nine?" Henry asked David cheerily, a wide grin on his face.

David couldn't help but to let out an airy, awkward laugh, and then having his eyes scan around the area while he scratched the back of his head wondering if the subject matter was even appropriate to laugh about. Regardless, he reached into his back pocket and pulled his leather wallet out and procured three different five-dollar bills.

"Make that nine-hundred and ninety-seven." He said handing the money over to Mark. "When you're a bachelor like me, you'll do whatever it takes to cut down on your electric bill." He mused with a smile. "I'm also not a man above charity." He added on, making sure to look down at Mason now with his cheeky smile.

Mark took the money with a genuinely warm smile from his friend, handing it to Mason; who promptly and eagerly stuffed the bills into the money box.

"You're a good man, David." Mark commended approvingly while handing the three candles over to David.

Henry, on the other hand, smiled - but it was hollow. He didn't see the veterinary assistant before him, but Prince Charming. The very Prince Charming who would be hopelessly in love with Snow White, _his_ Snow White. Henry remembered promising her all those years ago that he would never leave her, never part ways from her. And now...to set her free he would have to do just that. It was all he could not to simply just look at the man with disgust, but Henry knew how to keep a poker face - and looked as cheery as usual.

David returned the leather wallet to his back pocket and took the three candles (if a bit awkwardly from their sheer size) into his hands.

"I'd better get these home. I'm starting to realize why women carry around purses. I'll see you guys later, and hey...good luck." He gave mainly Mark a nod of encouragement before heading off down the street, whether he was headed to the veterinary booth just down the ways or the pet shelter in itself was unclear, but neither Mark nor Henry would have much time to think on it.

"Charming." A voice from behind them came, close enough that he needn't shout. Mr. Gold leaned heavily on his cane with his right hand, looking at the three with what almost looked like an amused expression on his face, having witnessed the entire thing.

Both Mark and Henry turned quite suddenly as the undeniable voice of Mr. Gold caught their attention. Both men gave the pawnbroker a nasty expression, though for different reasons: Mark's over doubling the rent, and Henry's over Gold's little jape with the word "Charming".

"What do you want?" Mark asked not-so-politely, his tone cold and direct.

Mr. Gold made a quiet noise from his throat, a mixture of a laugh and being hurt at Mark's cold tone with him.

"It's just...I couldn't help but notice the nuns were getting a bit more help this year." He replied to Mark with his tone even throughout, as if he had no idea as to what the nuns were really going through. He instead then turned his attention to Henry, the corner of his lip twitching into a half-smile. "Remarkable women, the nuns. Have you met them all during your stay here Mr. Carlyle? One in particular reminds me of you, actually; if you weren't just a visitor, one might think the two of you were..._related_..."

He let the final word hang in the air as his smirk only grew. Mr. Gold knew something that Henry didn't, that much was clear.

Mark remained silent at Mr. Gold's little observation about the influx of volunteers, but gave the man a venomous look.

Henry on the other hand, seemed to shift through a large number of emotions in a split second: impatience, confusion, formulation, and then finally...shock. His mouth was quite literally agape, unable to pick up the pieces of his usually so obedient expressions to show indifference.

"Wh-" Henry stopped to swallow, "What?" He asked shakily, unable to say or think anything else.

Both Mark and Mason looked at Henry with disarray, unsure what to make of his sudden discombobulating.

"Mr. Carlyle, what's wrong?" Mason asked Henry innocently, having to look straight-up to meet his teacher's gaze.

Mr. Gold seemed to be the only one that didn't react to Henry's reaction, nothing more than an audible smirk coming from his throat. His brown eyes then happened upon Mason, a sense of knowing coming over his face if but for a brief moment before looking back up to Mark, and then back to Henry. If anything, the man looked like a vulture sizing up it's free meal.

"But of course that would be ridiculous, wouldn't it?" He answered Henry at last. His attention then seemed to be pulled to the overhanging lights that the town square had been decorated with. They weren't on now, but one could only imagine the light they would put off once the sun had begun to set.

"I do hope you stick around long enough for the sun to go down." Mr. Gold then said to Henry, ignoring the man's look of stupor on his face and continued to look at the unlit lights. "They say these lights make the evening that much more...magical." He finally lowered his gaze to look upon the three boys and gave them each a polite nod as he gripped his cane, ready to walk off. "Best of luck. You'll need it." He added on, now looking at the boxes of candles in their possession.

Neither Mark nor Henry said anything back to Mr. Gold, either unable or unwilling to vocalize as the older man walked away from them.

"Close your trap, you'll catch flies." Mark told Henry curtly, blissfully unaware of what the not-so-newcomer had heard - its significance.

"Uh…yeah." Henry said quietly, shuddering slightly as he could feel the start of tears sting the corner of his eyes. In a lapse of willpower, a single one trailed down his cheek, his eyes had a clear visible sheen of moisture over them - but he said nothing on the matter, and kept his composure.

"I think we best try door-to-door now." Mark informed Henry, looking at his leather banded wrist watch.

"Sure, that's fine." Henry replied, sounding distant...sad.

Without saying another word, the three of them moved across the town until the first house came into view.

"Alright, Newcomer, go give them the spiel." Mark ordered Henry, motioning to the front door with a crane of his neck.

Henry nodded wordlessly, doing a quick fix-up of his person to make himself look as presentable as possible as he stepped up to the front door and rapping sharply on the wooden surface.

As Henry dealt with most-likely another "No", Mark figured now would be the best time to talk to Mason...specifically about the mines.

"Hey there, Bud." Mark began, squatting down once again and ruffling the boy's hair after first putting the boxes he was carrying on the ground.

"Hi, Mister Doo-, umm...Dofrezz-" Mason began, trying in vain to pronounce Mark's last name.

"Let's just stick with Mark." The fireman responded with a small chuckle. "I'm sorry we're taking this long to find your mom. We're trying to juggle a lot of other things, too. But don't worry...I haven't forgotten." Mark reassured sincerely, earning a small nod from Mason, who was currently rocking himself forward and back on his feet, clearly bored. "But, I did want to ask you a few things...about the mines. Is that okay?" Mark asked politely.

Mason replied with a simple, "Mhm!" As he was becoming slowly distracted by the fallen leaves that blew this way and that in the wind.

"Alright, great. I wanted to ask you...did you see anything down there? Any treasure?" Mark asked, trying to make the question slightly more enticing with the word "treasure". "Anything special at all?"

Mason shook his head no quickly, finally looking at Mark straight-on.

"Oh, alright, wasn't sure..." Mark said finally, sounding as if he was thinking over something - only half-paying attention. As soon as he saw Regina and Henry make their way to the mine collapse, he had seen The Mayor pick something - small and reflective - off the ground, yet couldn't get a good enough look at it.

Then, he remembered seeing her drop something in one of the fault lines when he left with Knox, Ruby, and Mason...then suddenly order the mine sealed up _immediately_. Could the mayor possibly be hiding something? Mark made a mental note to investigate this further if necessary.

"But I did hear some strange noises." Mason offered, making Mark pass him a curious look.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?" Regina stormed over to the small group on the porch of Mrs. Shoemaker, eliciting such a startled reaction from the older woman that she slammed the door shut on Henry, clearly no longer interested in buying candles. The mayor's eyes weren't on the old widow, however, but on Mark. She didn't stop her hurried gate, not at all hindered by the high-heels she wore, until she reached Mason and took him by the wrist gently, pulling her over to him where she put her hands on his shoulders protectively as she spun Mason around to face her, her hands then wandering all over his dirty face attempting to wipe it away and make sure he was okay.

"I thought I told you to stay put while I took care of some things?" Regina said licking her thumb to better her chances of getting the dirt off of his nose, though her tone to Mark was levels below the practically screamed obscenities directed towards him.

Mark turned to give a hard look at Regina as she approached, lacking any visible sign of fear or submission that nearly all the other citizens did. He rose to his feet slowly, dusting off his shoulders in the process.

"The boy was scared and alone at a large town gathering, we were trying to find you." He informed, the first part of his sentence sounding almost like an accusation - but his expression was hard as stone.

Henry, in the meanwhile, could only look at the door with a dumbfounded expression, saying the word "What" about three or four times as he had to come to speed with what just happened before him.

Regina's eyes inflamed as Mark's answer (ignoring Henry's presence altogether) as she looked over to the house they were standing in front of, a heavy scoff coming from her throat.

"Looking for me...really...at Mrs. Shoemaker's place? Yes, there's nowhere I'd rather be." If Mason wasn't around, she would have added onto her bitter sarcasm with a rude gesture, but her hands stayed planted firmly on the boy's shoulders. "Look, next time you're just 'trying to help'...don't. My _son_ wasn't scared, were you Mason?" She asked, looking down at the boy.

"I-"

"See? He was fine." Regina made a point of turning Mason back around so that she could dust off his shirt, mumbling under her breath about how boys got so dirty.

"Yes, I can see that." Mark said dryly, eyes cold and determined. "Just so you know, the next time I find him alone and he doesn't know where you are - I'm taking him to Sheriff Leland." Mark stated firmly, no question in his voice that he wouldn't go through with it.

Regina's already straight posture seemed to grow in size, her pupils dilating and her nostrils flared.

"How dare you..." She replied in a chillingly neutral tone, however she stepped in front of Mason to get closer to Mark, only stopping until they were just a foot or so apart. "How DARE you threaten me, in front of my son. You have NO right." She kept her calm as she spoke, only raising her voice at certain words, but her eyes locked on his spoke volumes. Loathing, disgust, absolute distaste...

"If I find you anywhere near my son again..." She began to threaten, but her anger was boiling up too hot inside of her for Regina to even come up with an end to that sentence.

"You'll..._what_?" Mark spat back, eyes narrowed to match hers. "You may be mayor of this town...but you can't go around threatening people the way you do...others might take it - but _not_ me." He finished defiantly, his voice keeping neutral in tone, quite an amazing feat for words so rebellious.

"Your _son_-" Mark began, using the word "son" loosely, "-was left behind and wanted his _mother_. I think a simple thank-you would suffice." Mark finished, hardly aware of the words he was saying right now. Under normal circumstances, he'd have brushed Regina's threats aside as he usually did...but for some reason...when it came to Mason, he felt himself grow...protective, _angry_.

During this whole altercation, Henry could only stand back, hoping not to get burnt by the fiery argument he seemed to have been caught in the middle of.

Regina dared to take a step closer, shortening the gap so much that their chests were practically touching and the need for Regina to crane her neck up to keep her eyes glued to his.

"You'll do well to remember that I _am_ Mayor of this town, and being Mayor, I have the power to get you fired. _Then_ how will you pay for those painkillers you've become so addicted to?" She looked intently into his eyes, the infuriated flames smoldering down to that of confidence once again as she then turned to face Mason and extended her arm out to him to lead him away.

Mason obliged, giving a quick look over to Mark and Henry, braving a small wave goodbye before Regina turned him around and the two made their way back into the heart of town to see what was left of Miners Day.

Mark watched the two leave with a piercing look not dissimilar to a falcon before finally sighing, rubbing his temple with both hands.

"Well..._that_ was interesting." Henry piped from Ms. Shoemaker's yard before joining Mark's side. "Good on you, Mate - standing up to the Mayor!" He commended, patting the older man on the back.

"Need I remind you that _you're_ the one who decided to sleep with her?" Mark stated bluntly as he looked at Henry with an almost disgusted look.

Henry looked slightly surprised for a moment, but went along with it.

"You're telling me you haven't gotten a look at those _ass_ets of hers?" He said cheekily, slightly emphasizing the 'ass' part of the word with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"No." Mark replied coldly before moving to pick up the candle boxes that he had placed down moments before Regina showed up. "Mr. Carlyle, I learned a valuable lesson at a young age, and that was the phrase 'right time, right place'." Mark began as he hoisted the boxes up.

"I'm not your 'pal', your 'mate', or your 'friend', I do not spend my spare time staring at the Mayor's curves or kissing coma patients. We have a job to do and I would _like_ to get it done. Now get moving to the next house." He ordered, slightly harsher than he intended. Did his confrontation with Regina rile him up _that_ badly? Mark shook his head to clear the thought before following the suddenly-silenced Henry.

XXX

Faye entered the hospital entrance carrying the box of candles with her. She figured that the other doctors would be celebrating their fundraising success in the breakroom by now, however, she decided to set the heavy box down for the moment and catch her breath.

Knox had been at the end of the hall when he noticed Faye carrying a rather hefty (for the woman's size) looking box. Pausing out of surprise for only a moment, he did a slight jog on over.

"Do you need help with that?" Gesturing a hand to the box, and giving the doctor a querying look, brow slightly raised, the security guard anticipated the situation going either way but he wasn't going to take no for an answer on this.

"Oh! Mr. Kowalski. Thank you for the offer, but you don't have to if you're too busy."

"Just let me know if the contents are fragile or sensitive materials, I can carry them at a more careful pace."

"I don't think candles would be that fragile,"

His brow furrowed in confusion, before speaking to her in a rather stern tone,

"There is a proper explanation for this, I assume? Candles are a fire hazard in this high oxygen ventilated hospital environment, and we also have a policy against anything scented…"

Faye slumped her shoulders at his reminder. She reassured him,

"I'm not going to make or allow people to light candles in the hospital, and these are not scented, at least…I don't think they are…" She explained, "I volunteered to help the nuns sell candles. They have to sell a thousand of them by tonight, and so far, they haven't sold any." She then grumbled bitterly, "I wouldn't doubt it if Mr. Gold had something to do with why they have to sell so many candles."

Hearing of Mr. Gold, Knox could only just nod. One of the few people who didn't owe Mr. Gold in some way, the security guard did well to avoid the man entirely and so far it turned out to work well for him.  
>Staring down at the box he remembered a brand new LED flashlight he had just purchased, candles would be a hell of a step down. Letting out a long sigh, there was little hesitation-doubt in his mind,<p>

"How much for this box?"

Faye blinked rapidly at his question and she did a double take in surprise. She answered in slight shock,

"The-The entire box? That would be a hundred and eighty dollars. Five dollars per candle, and there are thirty six in there..."

Not taking his time in this transaction, the security guard pulled out his wallet and started pulling out a number of twenties and ones. Holding the cash securely in his hand, Knox looked at Dr. Stevenson and responded to her apparent surprise with a rather wry expression, finally speaking up after a moment with a rather dry tone,

"Why the astonishment, Dr. Stevenson?"

Dr. Stevenson answered, her astonishment was being replaced by happiness,

"I'm just pleasantly surprised, Mr. Kowalski. This is very generous of you. Thank you! I'm sure the nuns would be very happy."

His stiff exterior relaxed to a more relieved one. Ah, might as well. Pulling yet another two twenties out, handing over the new sum of cash.

"The additional forty is for your fundraising." And now…now Knox had a full box of candles to manage. As much as this creeping, impulsive and less caring part of him wanted to just stick the box under his security office desk to use as a foot stool, there was still the proposed fire hazard that he himself had brought up. Easily hefting up the box of candles, the security guard gave a less stiff nod to Dr. Stevenson, after she mentioned the gratitude of the nuns, "No problem, this is for a good cause." This was going to be something interesting to bring home (and shove into the garage, maybe leaving a single candle out).

"Thank you again, Mr. Kowalski. I'll see you later," She then walked out of the hospital, heading for the nunnery to pick up more candles to sell. As she walked there, she pulled out her phone and texted Henry.

"_Sold 36 candles! Heading to nunnery to pick up more to sell. -Faye_"

She sent the text and kept on walking as she put her phone back into her purse.

XXX

"This is hopeless." Henry exclaimed after about an hour and a half of constantly going to house-after-house, giving them the same old spiel and not selling a dime's worth of candles. Everyone either wished they could, had to get gas in the car, had to pick up groceries, or some other pathetically poor excuse for not just forking over five dollars and being done with it. Before he could say anything else, however, Henry felt his phone buzz in his pants pocket. Pulling it out, he flipped it open, a flashing envelope on the screen signaling a text message. "It's Faye...she sold...36 candles! Impressive!" Henry commended with a cheery smile.

"It isn't enough." Mark replied bluntly, not sharing in the excitement.

"What do you suggest we do then?" Henry asked the fireman inquisitively, placing his hands in his coat pockets.

"We tell the nuns we failed. There's no way we can sell the rest of these in time. The best we can do now is let the Sisters hear the news from a friendlier face than Mr. Gold's." He finished, sounding...sad, disappointed.

_"Right, because you're *so* much friendlier..." _Henry thought to himself with a small smirk twitching at the edge of his lips. Fortunately for him, though, Mark didn't seem to notice as he turned back in the direction of the nunnery.

Henry followed quietly, a feeling of dread seemed to loom over the both of them like a cloud. Henry wasn't even sure if _he'd_ be able to break the news to the nuns...that they were now, for all intents and purposes, finished.

The front view of the nunnery came into Henry's sight far sooner than he would have liked. Mark scratched the top of his head for a moment as the both of them simply stood there, as if daring who would take the first step. The both of them finally began the painfully short trek up the stairs after a few moments of waiting, Mark pulling open the door and holding it for Henry before walking in themselves.

"Um, excuse me...?" Mark called out to one of the passing nuns, Sister Astrid as she walked past. "Y-yes? How can I help you, Mr. Dufresne?" The nun asked politely, stammering ever-so-slightly.

"Who do we talk to about selling the candles?" Mark inquired in a neutral tone, not even willing to fake a smile right now.

"Oh! You'll want to talk to Sister Charlotte, she's just down that hall - first room to your left." Sister Astrid informed with a sweet smile, prompting Mark and Henry to do the same - though theirs seemed heavy, burdened.

"Thank you, Sister." Mark said warmly before following her direction down the hall and to the left, Henry closely in tow.

The two of them entered a small, modest room of the nunnery; large windows beamed in the afternoon sunlight, a few bookshelves placed about the room itself - filled with religious allegories and documents. A small folding table was placed at the front of the room where a lithe, petite young woman; no older than 20 was looking through a few papers and folders, her face hidden as she was looking downwards.

"Are you Sister Charlotte?" Mark asked politely, though quietly, afraid of disturbing any possible business she was working on.

The young woman looked up from her current occupation, a small smile crossing her lips as she saw the two men - and in that very moment, Henry's face paled to the color of white paper.

"Yes, how can I help you?" The nun asked in a voice that was nothing less than sweet; soft and lovely.

Henry's breath caught in his throat, and he stumbled backwards slightly; as if he was seeing a ghost. The dark brown hair that was currently kept in a tight bun, those lively gray eyes that emanated sympathy and kindness, the _voice_.

"Alice..." Henry managed to say, just above a whisper, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Alice? Who's that?" Sister Charlotte asked, looking quite confused. "Are you feeling alright, sir?" She questioned with a look of concern in her eyes...those eyes. She approached him slowly to try and defuse the situation.

"Stay away!" Henry exclaimed sharply, jolting back as if hit by an electrical shock, hugging onto the door-frame like it was a lifeline. Tears now actively streamed down his face as he tried so hard to look away from the ghost's face...his sister's face.

Mark turned to look at Henry, his eyes narrowed in a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Henry...calm down. What's the problem?" He asked seriously, but in a reasoning tone.

Without saying another word, Henry rushed out of the room in an instant. He needed to be alone - needed to hide...

He blindly pushed through the doors to the restroom, which was, fortunately single-person only. He slammed and locked the door behind him, letting his anguish out as he sobbed uncontrollably into the sink, tears falling like raindrops from his reddened face, his shoulders racking and his legs feeling as though they'd give out at any moment.

Emotion overcame him, and in a blind fury - both at himself and...someone, _anyone_ else - he turned and slammed his fist into the tile wall with as much force as he could possibly muster. The blow was enough to rattle the mirror that hung just above the sink, the pain finally being the tipping point in Henry falling down to the ground entirely.

He curled up into a tight ball, ignoring the resounding pain that resonated from his cut and bleeding hand, choosing to run, to hide, to cower. Just as he did all those years ago: when she _died_...

Both Mark and Sister Charlotte were dumbfounded when Henry ran away in a slight panic.

"Let him go...he apparently needs to deal with something." Mark said somberly as Sister Charlotte made a move to go after him. The young nun nodded slowly in understanding, looking quite worried herself.

"I do hope he's okay..." She said, concern practically dripping off her voice.

"He will be..." Mark replied, though there wasn't much confidence in his voice. "We, uh..._I _ came to tell you that...we can't sell all the candles." He confessed quietly, hanging his head like a hound about to be scolded harshly.

"Oh...oh my..." Sister Charlotte said quietly, placing a single hand over her mouth in shock - the full realization, that the nunnery would become bankrupt hit her, but the pain...the sadness would come later.

"We tried everything we could...but we only managed one box and three individual candles." Mark added sadly, rubbing his hands over his face slowly. "I'm sorry." He said, sounding quite miserable.

"No...no, don't be. You did what you could." Sister Charlotte reassured quietly, her eyes beginning to mist. "That's all anyone could have asked from you, Mr. Dufresne - it just wasn't...meant to be. I know the Lord has bigger, wider paths for us." She finished, hopefully, trying to brighten the situation in the slightest.

Mark, deciding to do something he hadn't in a very long time, pulled the young nun into a tight hug, both for her sake and his. It was over - Gold had won.

**Author's Note:**

**A bit emotional for those of you closely following Henry's Story. Hopefully you read the prologue by now, if not then the revelation of Alice won't make much sense to you I'm afraid. Miners Day will be wrapped up in the next chapter, again I didn't expect this day to go on for so long. **


	15. Chapter 15: Blackout

**Author's Note:**

**Finally getting to finish up Miner's Day in this chapter, I had no idea it would take three chapters to do when I first started writing this, so my bad there but hey, at least that gives you guys more reading material (I'm assuming you guys like the story, the number of views keeps going up haha). So we have a lot to cover in this chapter, so strap in and enjoy the bumpy ride.**

Miner's day had initially come to an end, save for what Regina would refer to as 'leftover Christmas lights' illuminating the town square as the sun was on its way to setting. Most of the stalls had closed by now, being out of product to sell and yet a great number of Storybrooke had stayed out, mingling with one another as if they hadn't seen each other in years and this was their only hope at a good, lengthy conversation. In Regina's opinion, that was highly ridiculous; what else did these people do on a day-to-day basis _other_ than stand around and talk to one another? There never was enough going on in Storybrooke that would ever hinder that.

Had Regina not been so high-strung at that particular moment she would have stopped to enjoy the pinks and oranges of the sunset, as was everyone else, but Robert no doubt would be good on his word and come by early the next morning to take Mason away. The thought alone put knots in Regina's stomach, so bad that she had wondered how she had made it through the duration of the day without vomiting. She was stressed, she knew that, and she also knew she would do anything to keep Mason; to keep her son.

Mr. Gold had made a fine point of avoiding her all day, almost like he _knew_ that she was looking for him to strike a deal. Countless times she had walked by his pawn shop, only to see the 'Closed' sign in the door and the pawnbroker nowhere inside. If he wasn't hiding in his own pawnshop, then _where_ was he hiding? She had thought that she had caught a glimpse of his hair once or twice from across the street throughout the day, or hearing the familiar clanking of his cane from behind her, but each time she made pause to focus in on either of these things, he was nowhere in sight.

Finally though, as the sun had finally succumbed to the horizon and twilight had been brought upon Storybrooke, she saw the man limping heavily back towards his shop, and Regina was in hot pursuit after allowing Mason to go and play with the other children. She entered the pawnshop only moments after he did, the sign in the door remaining in its 'Closed' position but Mr. Gold didn't bother locking up the door once he had entered his shop; again as if he were waiting for her. It was unnerving, at some points the way Mr. Gold went about things. He always seemed to know everything, and not only that but he always seemed prepared for whatever it was that happened. She expected such behavior from Rumpelstiltskin, but without magic in Storybrooke, she was only left to wonder 'how' when it came to the methods of Mr. Gold.

The tiny bell attached to the door rang, and Regina walked into the shop, absentmindedly running her fingers over her black hair to ensure that it was still looking good. She approached the older man at the counter, and let her elbows rest on its hard surface.

"I need a child Gold, and I need your help." Regina said, amazed with her own self-will to not sound as if she were about to burst into tears like she had felt all day. Mr. Gold breathed out an airy laugh and shook his head no.

"Well I'm flattered, but uninterested." Came his cheeky reply, this time making Regina shake her head with a twisted face of 'why the hell can't you be serious for once?'

"Not like that!" She snapped, feeling her eyes roll a bit. "I'm talking about Mason. Sheriff Leland has made a point to try and take him from me to a boy's home in Boston by morning. We both know what happens to people when people try and leave Storybrooke…" Regina paused to clear her throat. "But you, Gold, you know how to cut through red tape, and if anyone can work the system and let me keep Mason it's you."

Mr. Gold didn't say anything at first, just looking down on Regina with such a stone-faced expression that Regina feared that her flattery hadn't helped her at all.

"You wish to adopt?" He said at last, though in more of a statement than a question.

"Well don't look so surprised!" Regina replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Oh I'm not." He assured her. "I'm sure you'll make a-" His words hung in the air as he seemed to chew over in his mind the correct words to finish that sentence. "-well, a mother of some sort."

"Can you help me?" Regina asked, her tone no more pleasant and in the works of flattery. With just that one question Mr. Gold could tell that she was already losing her patience.

"Of course I can, but a word of caution. Ask yourself, is this something you're ready for?"

"It's something I need."

"Well that may not be the same thing…"

Regina's face fell to the honesty of the pawnbroker's words, bur Mr. Gold continued on.

"I'll get you the child-"

Regina didn't need to hear anymore after that, and turned to leave, but Mr. Gold kept speaking.

"-but whether or not that's helping you-"

Regina stopped walking and turned to look at Mr. Gold.

"-remains to be seen. When you become a parent…you must put your child first…" Mr. Gold's eyes fell from Regina's, seeming to be deep in thought over a more, personal matter. "…no matter what."

"I can't help but to notice that you haven't asked for a favor in return." Regina answered. She wasn't completely disregarding everything he had to say, more just…putting it into the back of her head to think on later. "There's always something with you, what do you want?"

Whatever sort of deep thought Mr. Gold had put himself in, he had snapped right back out, returning a somewhat cheeky smirk back to Regina.

"What makes you think I want something dear? What more do you have to give me?"

This time, Regina's face fell. He was right, she _didn't_ have anything for him, not this time. This was a deal she was unprepared to make, she had been so worried about keeping Mason that she walked into the pawnshop blindly, willing to pay any price he asked. Her face steadily grew pale as she realized that there _was_ one thing…one thing that could set everything straight and keep her off of Gold's radar for quite some time; she just didn't think she would have had to pull that card so soon. She opened her mouth to speak, but Mr. Gold had beaten her to it.

"Magic." He replied, so curtly, that it made Regina pause to close her mouth again.

"Magic?" She asked, quirking a curious brow. She hadn't been expecting that.

"Your vault. I know you brought it here. I also know you couldn't help yourself by bringing along a few trinkets along from _our_ world."

Regina found her thumb and index finger fidgeting with the golden ring around her left pointer finger, twisting it round and round as she felt her throat go dry.

"No dearie, not your ring. You can keep your precious memento for your revenge on The Charmings."

"Then what?"

Mr. Gold smirked, adjusting the weight that he put onto his good leg.

"Let's just say I've been having a bit of trouble with…falling asleep…"

The color to Regina's face came back, but not by much.

"Why on earth would you need _that_?" Regina asked.

"Well if you're going to just stand there asking questions, then perhaps I might just-" He used his right hand in a small flourish. "-forget to make a few phone calls for your boy." Regina took in a deep breath and sighed out through her nose.

"Fine, it's yours. I'll bring it by tomorrow _after_ I see Mason's paperwork." Regina agreed.

"Who is he?"

The question caught Regina off-guard, so much that Mr. Gold even saw that he would have to be more specific with his question.

"The boy. Who is he? Surely he has parents _somewhere_, if not here then back where we came from…"

"Before you start throwing accusations, Gold, I had nothing to do with the disappearance of his parents. If Mason came here without them then that means he had been separated from them before I inflicted the curse. All the more reason for me to adopt him. Unlike you Gold, I don't abandon children."

Her sentence struck a raw nerve in the older man's face so hard, Regina was sure that he would either begin to shout, or possibly even cry. He did neither though, holding his composure just long enough for Regina to smirk and walk out of his shop.

Just as soon as the door was shut, he let the silent tears stream down from his face and splash down onto the hard surface of the counter top. He placed his palms together, lacing his fingers between one another and stretched his arms out on top of the counter, bending at the waist to let his forehead rest against his combined fists where he audibly began to sob out into the emptiness of his shop.

XXX

Faye reached the nunnery, and she was directed to meet with Sister Charlotte as Mark and Henry were before her. She found Mark and Sister Charlotte conversing quietly with one another and she started, getting the duo's attention,

"Mr. Dufresne, Sister Charlotte." She was about to ask if they were going to continue selling candles, but she noticed that Henry was missing, and she asked instead "Where's Mr. Carlyle?"

Both Mark and Sister Charlotte looked up suddenly at the new voice that entered the conversation.

"Dr. Stevenson." Mark greeted simply, though not impolitely.

"A pleasure to see you, doctor." Sister Charlotte greeted in kind, though her head was cocked down, looking at her hands, which seemed to fidget somewhat nervously.

"The man had a nervous breakdown, God knows why, and ran into the bathroom. We heard a slam from inside but nothing else." Mark answered her question neutrally, scratching the back of his head. "Might be best if_ you_ spoke to him." He suggested to Faye.

"He was so upset..." Sister Charlotte added sympathetically, appearing quite downtrodden. "He just..._looked_ at me and ran." She finished sadly.

Worry appeared on Faye's face almost immediately. That was so unlike Henry!

"I see. I'll try and speak with him. Please, excuse me."

Both Mark and Sister Charlotte nodded at Faye and remained where they were as the good doctor went past them towards the bathrooms.

"Henry?" Faye called after knocking on the door a few times.

There was silence for a few moments, but a bit of shuffling from inside signaled Henry was _indeed_ there.

"Let me be..." He said sorrowfully from inside, not knowing or caring who was out there at the moment. The key around his neck became that much heavier from the realization that Alice was alive: it was his burden, his weight, and he chose to carry it alone.

"Henry, it's me, Faye. What's wrong? What happened?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you..." Henry said quietly, making no move to unlock the door. "It's..." He stopped, shuddering reflexively as he tried desperately to regain his composure. "It's my past, come to haunt me; no matter how far I run from it." He finished before turning silent once again.

Faye wasn't sure what he was talking about, but that didn't stop her from placing her hand on the door, as though it could be an extension of Henry's hand.

"Henry...running away from the past isn't going to make anything better…"

"It's all I've ever done." Henry replied somberly from the bathroom. And he was right - even in the Enchanted Forest, Wonderland, all he did was run: it was his nature.

"That doesn't mean that you have to keep running away. You can still confront whatever is haunting you from your past."

"Not if the past is dead." Henry said cryptically. How else could he say it? That the nun who was standing just behind Faye was his sister who was beheaded in Wonderland by the Queen of Hearts for _his_ insolence? Oh how he wished to share with her...but she wouldn't believe - she couldn't.

"It doesn't matter if the past is dead or not if it's still haunting you like this. You don't have to confront it alone, Henry. I'd help you in any way I can. But I can't if you keep shutting me out like this."

There was only silence, then a bit more shuffling from inside. A small _click_ came from the door handle. Faye blinked and took her hand off of the door, stepped back and allowed Henry to come out of the bathroom. The door opened slowly with a long _creeeaak_. Henry stepped out of the bathroom slowly, his face still reddened from his breakdown; his injured hand perhaps even redder, blood slowly seeping from the open wounds on his knuckles. He kept his eyes locked on Faye, afraid that even _looking_ at Sister Charlotte (should she be nearby) would incur another bout of tears.

Faye took immediate notice of his injured hand and lifted it gently so as to not hurt Henry. She mumbled sadly, "Oh Henry..." having gathered where it might have come from. "Come on. Let's get that hand treated, alright?"

"No...no time for that. I have to...I have to talk to Mr. Gold - now." Henry objected calmly, seeming to ignore his hand for the time being.

"Mr. Gold? Why would you want to talk to him?" Faye asked, unable to hide the surprise in her voice from such a strange request at an even stranger time.

"My past." Henry replied bluntly, though not unkindly. "He knows...things...things I so do wish I could tell you, Faye. All I can tell you, though, is that I need to talk to him - _soon_." Henry finished, placing both hands firmly on her shoulders.

"But Henry, this is your first time in Storybrooke. How would Mr. Gold even know about your past?" The doctor asked, raising her eyes in suspicion.

Henry sighed, thinking of how to go about this.

"Remember when I asked you to trust me?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I'm not exactly a..._new_comer. More of a _late_comer. Mr. Gold and I have...spoken before, made a few deals. I was supposed to come here five years ago - but I waited…half to circumstance, half to not _wishing_ to come here. He knows things about me and I know things about him. You just have to trust me...do you trust me, Faye?" He asked her seriously, looking her dead in the eyes.

Faye listened to Henry's explanation. Her gut feeling told her that he was telling the truth, despite the fact that what he was saying made no sense whatsoever. She looked at him in the eyes and answered seriously,

"Yes, I trust you." She then said, "However, I still think that going to see Mr. Gold tonight, is a bad idea! A very, very bad idea."

"Faye...I have to. I wish I didn't, but...we have 'business' to discuss." Henry replied, saying the word "business" with disgust in his voice. "But...we can both go to your place after that. I promise." He said reassuringly with a small smile, finally noticing his hands hadn't left her shoulders the entire time. He quickly moved them back to his sides with an embarrassed look on his face, trying to mask it with an awkward grin.

Faye sighed through her nose.

"OK. Fine. But the moment things start to look bad, I'm intervening."

"Ok...deal." Henry compromised, placing his uninjured hand into his coat pocket, his wounded one seeming to scream with pain at every movement. "Shall we go, then?" He asked her - his voice seemingly returning to normal.

"Let's go, but we're tending to that hand, like it or not!"

"All in due time." Henry replied halfheartedly before heading towards the front doors of the nunnery, his maimed hand sticking out like a sore thumb. He stopped at the threshold of the door, letting Faye out before himself in a gentleman-like manner. Once she had gone past, Henry followed behind quietly before abruptly stopping in his tracks, eyes wandering up to the power transformer that stuck out quite obviously on one of the nearby rooftops. "Wait..." He said, remembering Mr. Gold's words from just earlier that afternoon.

_"I do hope you stick around long enough for the sun to go down. They say these lights make the evening that much more...magical."_

"That's it!" Henry exclaimed, quickly rushing to the ladder that escaladed up to the roof.

"What's it?"

"Keep me covered! We're gonna sell those candles!" Henry said to Faye with confidence as he began climbing up the ladder, wincing every time his injured hand gripped the rungs.

"Wait, what? Henry!" She watched as he went up the ladder and she groaned "Oh no..." What was Henry up to? She really hoped that he wasn't doing something incredibly reckless…which she already knew he probably was given his nature.

Henry climbed his way to the top, scurrying until he managed to get on his feet. He scanned the rooftop for something, anything he could use; his eyes landing on a crowbar that was strewn absentmindedly onto the ground. He used his good hand to grab it, hoisting it up and getting a good grip with both hands. He stared menacingly at the fuse box for a moment before swinging the crowbar at it with great force, embedding the crowbar into the box.

The power flickered furiously but remained on, causing Henry to growl as he yanked the crowbar out and swung at it once more, this time causing a blanket of darkness to come over the _entire_ town.

Dr. Stevenson swore under her breath as she stood in the darkness, gathering what he had just done. She was just glad she had a backup source for electricity in the hospital, just in case something just as this had occurred. If she hadn't, then many patients' lives would've been at risk and she would have been in a much, much fouler mood.

"Yes!" Henry exclaimed quietly as he moved to climb down the ladder, the crowd of people becoming somewhat frantic as they suddenly found themselves in complete darkness.

Mark rushed out of the nunnery, followed closely behind by Sister Charlotte - both of them looking absolutely dumbfounded: if one could see their expressions.

"What the hell...?" Mark swore, looking about blindly. Henry, (taking a few moments to let his eyes adjust to the dark), ran up to Mark with an almost manic grin.

"Mark, I've done it! Get the candles! The nuns are going to make it!" He exclaimed frantically, clasping the older man on both shoulders and shaking him back and forth in excitement.

Mark seemed to finally catch on to the idea, a wide grin crossing his face. Henry took this as a sign, and raised his voice substantially whilst calling out,

"Everyone! We've got candles! Only five dollars apiece! Enough for everyone!"

The crowds surprise and fear seemed to turn to elation as they hurried over to the nunnery, practically throwing their money at the nuns for candles.

Faye found her way to Henry and couldn't keep the smile off of her face. So _that's_ what he had been up to. Strange, and illegal, but Henry pulled through with helping Mark and the nuns, just as he had promised. Mark and Sister Charlotte both helped oversee the sale of candles (Henry still was unable to even be within arm's length of the nun). It was magnificent: whether a freak accident, a not-so-lawful but well-meaning citizen, or an act of God; loss of electricity suddenly made everyone _that_ much more interested in purchasing candles.

"We...we did it!" Sister Charlotte exclaimed excitedly, looking absolutely stupefied. "I have to-I have to go find Mother Superior. Oh, Mr. Dufresne: thank you for _everything_!" She said happily, pulling him into yet-another hug before bounding off to find the head nun.

Henry looked to Faye, wearing that same ecstatic grin on his face. He made a snap-decision in his head, and, without a moment's warning; grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and planted his lips on hers, eyes closing as he hoped this wouldn't result with him pepper-sprayed on the ground. Her eyes widened her eyes in shock at first, but she didn't move to hit him, or push him away. She instead melted into the kiss, returning Henry's sentiment. Henry kept his lips on hers for as long as he possibly could (earning a slightly disgusted look from Mark in return) before slowly pulling away, his mouth forming a small smile as he looked at her.

"I've wanted to do that for _so_ long." He said sincerely

The doctor had to admit that she enjoyed the kiss, but she had covered her mouth and was blushing. She cleared her throat after Henry had made his sincere comment...what was she supposed to say after two people kissed?! She had no idea! She stuttered awkwardly,

"Uh...I-uh..." She paused to clear her throat. "We'll talk about the whole circuit breaker thing when we get back to my home..."

"Sure, we'll _talk_ about it." Henry responded, his tone hinting that he intending on doing anything _but_ talking. "But now-" He began, sounding almost disappointed. "I have to go talk to Mr. Gold...but I want to get home as soon as possible. I'll try and keep it short and-" He stopped before saying 'sweet' afterwards, taking a moment to think of a filler word. "Short and productive!" He settled on, kissing her on the forehead before turning to half-run, half-walk towards the pawn shop.

Faye let out an audible sigh as she watched Henry hurry away. She had hoped he would've forgotten wanting to speak to the Pawnbroker, but apparently he didn't. She hurried after him, ignoring the lingering feeling of his kiss on the forehead because of the worry of what may happen at Mr. Gold's occupied her mind now.

XXX

Ruby drummed her red painted nails on the table of the booth, her other hand holding her head upright as she watched the people of Storybrooke walk around on the streets as the lights began to illuminate the dark sky. More particularly, she found, her attention had been on the couples of Storybrooke, watching their hands intertwined with one another, stealing a quick peck on the cheek before hurrying over to meet up with some friends...it all made Ruby feel kind of...jealous.

The waitress suddenly straightened up a bit. Jealous? Since when did _she_ start feeling jealous about anything? She could literally have any guy in Storybrooke, hell she could call over David Nolan right now and-

Ruby put her head back down on the table, flicking an invisible speck of dust with her fingers and frowned. She missed Knox; there was no way around it. Granny heard the sigh coming from her granddaughter that Ruby hadn't even known she let out, and the older woman peered over at her over the top of her glasses.

"You know...we sold a lot today..." Granny started, making Ruby look up at her granny lazily without even so much as moving her head. "-but, those poor men at the hospital that had to work all day, they never got a chance to-"

Ruby bounded up, nearly tripping over her own two lanky legs.

"I'll do it! I'll run them over some stuff." She eagerly volunteered, practically bouncing up and down on her heels. Granny smiled with a firm hold on her lips; really the only person that could really tell was a smile was Ruby. Granny then handed over a basket, already filled with a few boxes of Granny's famous chocolate chip cookies, some wrapped taffy, a small box of peanut brittle and then a box of a strawberry rhubarb pie. Ruby snatched up the basket and practically ran all the way to the hospital, not even noticing the point where the square lights no longer illuminated her path.

Ruby had been in the hospital enough lately that she knew the very room Knox would be in. She honestly didn't know how he did it, sitting at a desk for hours upon hours watching recorded footage where ninety-nine percent of the time, nothing happened. Well there was that one instance with Henry a week ago, but that was really a rare occurrence. Nothing interesting ever happened in Storybrooke. She quietly slipped into the surveillance room, spotting Knox immediately given his tall frame and set the basket of goodies down on the ground before sneaking up on him and putting her fingers over his eyes.

"You sir...need a break!"

Stiffening in his chair, Knox frowned in confusion, before raising a gloved hand and coughing into it. For a moment, the security guard was going to lecture her on the proper procedure—going to the front desk and calling him down to meet her—but he decided against it, since Ruby wouldn't likely follow it either way. And, though he didn't want to admit it, the job recently started to feel…empty? It seemed dull, and the relief of the spontaneous, beautiful girl's presence was what Knox couldn't outright admit to himself that he craved.

Now Knox had her soft hands touching his face, covering his eyes. What to say? How to respond…?

"…yes…" Saying the one word slowly, carefully, tasting the admitted defeat of boredom…he wondered what sort of expression she had on her face. Lifting his hands up, Knox held onto Ruby's hands with his, which were still covering his eyes.

"I'm not going to ask why…" Though he couldn't find a voice to say it, he was just glad to have her company.

Ruby breathed out a light chuckle as she bent forward and kissed his stubbly cheek before dropping her hands from his eyes. She then made a point of reaching over his shoulder, finding the pause button on the computer and halted the tape.

"You hungry?" She asked briefly pulling herself away from him, letting her once extended arm run up his chest and through his hair until it was forced to go away entirely with the rest of her body as she walked over to the basket she had set onto the floor. The security guard shivered lightly as the girl's touch, that she felt cheeky enough to just up and do what she wanted. That was the sum of her character, a girl who knew what she wanted and went for it…frustrating, and brilliant.

"We had some left-overs from Miners Day." She thought a moment about adding on that Granny had sent them over, but felt like Knox might find the taste of Granny's infamous chocolate chip cookies to taste just a bit...differently after that, and so she remained silent.

Knox cleared his throat and nodded quickly to Ruby…keeping his focused eyes on her face.

"And how was your Miner's day?"

Ruby shrugged, thumbing through the boxes; taking some cookies out of one to put some taffy and brittle into it instead and then carried the box back over to Knox, setting it on the desk in front of him. With the box of sweets set before him, Knox's eyes almost went as big as saucers. It was really pitiful how much of a sweet tooth he had for Granny's baked goods.

"Same as every year, although Granny did try to set me up with a very wet Henry Carlyle a few times." She blinked, realizing that Knox had no idea what she was talking about. "He volunteered for Dr. Stevenson's dunk tank thing, really gave people a reason to want to spend their money...dunking the town creep." She quickly explained. She looked around the small room without much interest, though seeing no other chair available, Ruby promptly sat down on his lap and let her arms wrap around his neck loosely as if they had done it hundreds of times before.

"She thinks you're broody and doesn't like that you never smile, so naturally Henry was the next choice." She added on with a roll in her eyes.

The security guard hastily set a hand on her waist, to bring what he felt was more balance to their sitting position.

"Ruby." Somehow managing a stern tone, "I'm not a chair. I can take these…" Rapping the side of the box with the knuckle of his gloved hand, "…but what am I going to do with you?" The man was just about to lean down to Ruby, a little bit closer…when he finally caught what she had said about Henry.

Letting out a groan and sitting up a little better, leaning the side of his body against the desk, he reached over to turn the security television back on, mood considerably soured in the past few seconds. Knox knew exactly how he felt about Granny willing to pass him up for the newcomer and 'town creep', as a particular newspaper he didn't care much for had aptly put it…why? Her logic escaped him as to why she chose now of all times to have an opinion on whom Ruby spent time with. Still, the louder nagging voice was telling him that the old woman was indeed right.

Ruby pressed her lips into a thin line and knitted her eyebrows together, removing one loose hand around his neck to push the pause button on the computer once more, slightly irritated that he had even turned it back on to begin with and then sternly shook her head no at him, as if scolding a child for playing with things he shouldn't be.

Reaching his free hand up, Knox rubbed the back of his neck.

"Your grandmother has a point…I…am the brooding sort, aren't I?" Letting out a self-deprecating chuckle…with a tight lipped smile, "You never did tell me…why do you like me?" Neither one of them said it, or claimed it...but they pretty much straddled the line between 'friend', and that much more.

"That's because I didn't say." Ruby responded, her face letting up a little from its once stern hold and let her hand move back to its loose position of being wrapped around him, letting her thumb find a bundle of tight nerves and stiff muscles and slowly started to rub it out of his neck.

With his work in surveillance during the day, his neck met with Ruby's deep massaging was like a magical switch had been flicked on. His stiff disposition once again loosened up as he made a particularly happy sound, his eyes closing in a very relieved expression.

"…forget I asked. Just…continue that, please…" His voice was not more than a quiet purr.

Ruby couldn't help but to let out a light chuckle as she hopped off of Knox's lap, grabbing a cookie from the box she had put out in front of him and stuck it into his mouth while she circled around him and let her hands fall on his shoulders again. Now behind him, she could really start digging her thumbs into the knots he had been building up in his neck for who knows how long. The delicious cookie in his mouth did well to stifle a pleased groan that came with the massaging, but it was a strange thing eating something good while getting a particularly pleasing massage. Stimulation of the senses, indeed. Ruby bent over at the waist slightly; just enough to let her chin rest on his shoulder as she continued to work her fingers on his tight muscles and just relaxed herself against him. She would take this over poor conversation and cheesy fries with coffee any day.

"You helped me discover who I really am." Ruby then said, cutting the silence after a while in answering his previous question.

Sitting in his chair, his eyes slowly opening (one at a time)…turning his face to stare at Ruby, her chin resting on his shoulder.

"I see, so this wasn't a ploy to get into my pants?" His voice had a surprisingly playful tone to it, as he teased her.

"That depends, did it work?" Ruby asked with a quick wink.

There was only a short moment of silence, before the security guard reached over to the box on the table, pulling another cookie out and sticking it into his mouth. Setting his other free hand on the girl's shoulder, Knox brought Ruby better levelled to him, and pushed the cookie passed her lips with his.

Ruby laughed as her teeth accepted the cookie offering from his mouth. The display had to have been very strange to anyone that might have popped into the security room right then, but she didn't care. He was playing, and so she would play back. She chewed up her portion of the cookie as best as she could, playfully letting her teeth nip at his ear since they were so close.

"Sorry..." She apologized without much sincerity as she chewed up the rest of the cookie. "I thought you were the cookie." She grinned and let her body move back around so she was sitting back on his lap, her hands holding onto his shoulders once more. "Man what I would do for some whipped cream right now." She said looking down at Knox, awaiting his reaction before she went on, "Granny put a pie in the basket too; can't have pie without whipped cream."

Narrowing his eyes at the girl, though the corner of his mouth twitched up ever so slowly.

"Whipped cream? Hmmm…" With no more attention on his neck, Knox rolled it back and forth, before settling and peering up into Ruby's face, "…too bad. I would have bent the rules and allowed for a messy food product here or there, the surveillance room has been in dire need of a good cleaning either way."

A white smile flashed across her thin face, her brow quirked as mischievous thoughts entered her mind, enough to make her cheeks flush a pleasant shade of pink as she bent down to let her teeth graze over his neck, then using her tongue to slide up and catching what crumbs might have been left-over from their cookie exchange.

"Mmmm…good girl." Making another happy sound, and growling a little bit soon after, he didn't like the idea of Ruby taking all of the control. With both hands on her shoulders, Knox pulled her off of him after a moment…reaching a hand out blindly, the security guard messily stabbed his fingers into one half of the pie...before going and smearing the sticky strawberry rhubarb pie filler along Ruby's neck, and almost touching them to her lips in a teasing manner.

Instead, the man sucked the sweet substance off of his fingers, smacking his lips once his digits were clean.

"The baker has my compliments, I'm much obliged." With a rather devious smile, Knox leaned down to lick at Ruby's sweet, sweetened neck…licking, sucking, and making nips of his own at her throat; up her chin…he was practically outside of himself in this situation. The greater part of him was confused as to why he'd do this, and in a hospital of all places, though the smaller part of him won out in asking a simple single question: why not?

Ruby let out a small gasp of surprise, but shut her mouth instantly when she felt Knox's lips on her neck as the tide had turned in the blink of an eye. Her own eyes rolled back a bit as she closed them, bracing her hands on his chest to keep her weakening knees from collapsing her body to the floor. A couple of growl sounds came from her throat in relation to the electrical shocks he was sending through her body, her hands moving to his shoulders to hold onto him tighter still, breathing out a quiet,

"Knox..."

Pulling away momentarily, Knox shared with the girl what he could only describe as a meaningful gaze, before planting a quick peck at the side of her mouth…then a proper kiss to her mouth. Then a deeper one…

Returning the kiss with a new-found sense of passion, Ruby almost didn't notice the lights flickering in the small room until the sound of all the computers in the room suddenly powering off caught her attention enough to open her eyes and pull her lips from Knox's for just a brief moment, though keeping her lips just mere centimeters from his own as she looked around at the now completely black room.

"I swear I didn't do it!" She felt the need to say, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness and found that she could find Knox's silhouette rather easily, even being able to make out his facial expressions, just a bit. Was that...normal?

The security guard didn't realize that the lights had flickered out till Ruby pulled away, and he had realized that nothing was putting anymore strain on his eyes. The previously dominant part of him, the part that told him to just continue with the waitress girl, was squashed in a near instant.

"It's a blackout, and the generators have probably kicked in already…" Knox couldn't help it, and his thoughts were dragged to his father. Giving the girl a worried look, seeing the confused look on her face was plain as day…but in the dark. "I need to do a quick sweep; there aren't many security staff today. Are you coming with me?"

Feeling somewhat deflated that the one moment they had together after a week-long of doing nothing _but_ working left a bitter feeling in her stomach, but Ruby nodded, more than willing to help wherever she could.

"I'll go check the upstairs." She volunteered, pulling herself away from Knox but not before planting a gentle kiss on his cheek and headed to the door, second nature to her really despite the room being pitch black.

XXX

Henry hurried down the street towards Mr. Gold's shop, not even looking behind to see if Faye was following. Either not noticing, or not caring about the 'closed' sign on the front door, he pushed it open quickly - causing the small bell to ring, announcing his presence.

The shop, like every other building in Storybrooke, had completely lost power however (unknown to mostly everyone as to 'how') the shop had at least a dozen different candles lighting up the front room. The amount of wax dripping down the sides indicated that they had been lit for at least an hour; well before Henry had knocked the power out.

The owner of the Pawnshop was nowhere to be seen, but the sound of glass clinking together was barely audible from behind the curtain where Mr. Gold's office and extra items were stored for later use. Aside from the usual musty smell that the pawnshop gave off (due to most of the items being extremely old and dusty) there was another odor in the air, one that no one had ever expected inside Mr. Gold's shop; smoke.

Henry looked about the seemingly-empty shop peculiarly, wrinkling his nose at the scent of that wafted through the shop. Deciding to investigate, he stepped behind the counter, slowly pulling aside the curtains to find the source.

It wasn't too hard to spot Mr. Gold once the curtains had been drawn back. He was standing over a rather large, oak desk with his right palm keeping him steady as opposed to his cane, which laid in the middle of the floor between Henry and himself, forgotten. On the desk were a variety of glass bottles, each half-filled with either a clear or murky brown liquid. Also on the desk, seemingly very out of place, a very old, worn blanket folded up to perfection with the red embroidery sitting face up.

Mr. Gold didn't bother to raise his eyes from the name stitched onto the blanket after hearing Henry come in, the only movement the older man made was to lift his right hand from the desk, pull out a half-smoked cigarette and then used his left hand to bring a shot glass of what could be Brandy to his lips, exhaling the smoke out of his nose as he downed the drink. Only when he had set the empty glass back down onto the desk did Mr. Gold bother to look over at Henry, his usual perfectly kempt hair splayed out in random tangles, as if the man had spent a while tugging and pulling at it.

"You've done it then." Mr. Gold acknowledged Henry with a low, tired voice, his eyelids matching the worn look the rest of his appearance displayed. "Good." He returned the cigarette to his lips and took a rather large inhale.

"I destroyed a fuse box - if that's what you're talking about." Henry replied, somewhat absentmindedly as he looked about what was behind the shop, wondering for a brief moment if anything else in here had belonged to him or someone he knew. Henry inhaled sharply, his injured hand stinging painfully as he now had all the time in the world to focus on it. "Alice..." He began soberly, "She's here - in Storybrooke. How...why?" Henry asked, his tone not angry or demanding; simply inquisitive, and...hurt.

Mr. Gold tried to laugh, but it was immediately interrupted by a few hard coughs, forcing his hand to pull the cigarette out and cover his mouth. He shook his head at himself before running his hand over his mouth, pulling at the skin a bit before turning to face Henry directly.

"That depends-" he was forced to stop as another cough came over him, but he continued on just after, "-on what Cora told you."

Henry merely stared on as Mr. Gold began coughing violently. He masked a small smirk that threatened to cross his lips.

_"The mighty Rumpelstiltskin, reduced to coughs and sputters." _Henry felt like saying, but held his tongue - Gold had helped him out more than once...and was definitely not a man to be insulted, as Henry had found out when he was staring at his own heart in the Imp's hand back at The Dark Castle.

"She told me that _you_ told her to kill Alice...so that I'd have nothing to lose." Henry answered bitterly, staring daggers at the older man before softening his gaze slightly. There was no point in getting mad right now. Alice was alive: in a false identity, yes. But alive nonetheless.

Getting screams of protest from his right leg from trying to hold his full weight for only a few moments, Mr. Gold was forced to brace his right hand back onto the desk, although he let out a bit of a chuckle at Henry's reply.

"So she _is_ capable of telling the truth..." He mumbled to himself, though loud enough for Henry to hear before tossing his head a bit to look upon Henry directly once more. "It did work though, didn't it? Pulling you from Wonderland, away from your home and family. You're right, you didn't have anything to lose. Such as what I needed in a savior. I counted on you running from her execution, and you did...too much of a coward to stay and watch before I plucked her from the fate _you_ bestowed upon her." He answered, using his thumb and forefinger to mimic 'plucking' as the word fell from his lips.

"You...you _stole_ her?" Henry asked, his tone that of utter disbelief.

"I prefer the word rescued..."

"All these years I thought she was dead, and you took her for your own selfish reasons."

Mr. Gold scoffed and shook his head, looking down at nothing in particular before looking back to Henry.

"Would you have done it?" He asked, and without waiting for Henry to ask him what he was talking about, he continued, "would you have been pushed to such an extreme to make the power go out in Storybrooke in a last-stitch effort to save your sister from eviction?"

Henry stammered, genuinely unsure of how to answer.

"I...I had to. That life-" He began, pointing towards the front door, signifying all of Storybrooke, "Is all she knows."

"What did the nuns say when you handed them over the money?" Mr. Gold asked, although the tone he used indicated that he already knew. "You don't know do you? Because as soon as you had the money, you came straight here. But I'll tell you what the nuns will say, they will spread word of your 'heroic display' of raising the money to keep 'nasty Mr. Gold' from evicting such kind-hearted people. Your name will be cleared, all charges will be dropped and you will be trusted because you managed to beat _me_." His lips curved into a thin smile, indicating that they both knew better, what _really_ happened.

"I needed a savior to break this curse, but I had to _create_ him first." Mr. Gold finished and snuffed out the still burning cigarette onto the oak desk.

Henry paced about the room, trying to come to terms with what he was just told.

"If you had Alice this whole time." He started, not touching anymore on the 'savior' business. "Where did you keep her in the Enchanted Forest? The dungeon?" He asked, a slight bit of venom entering his tone.

Mr. Gold just smiled, giving Henry his answer before the man went into another coughing fit. A searing pain pierced down his back, causing the man's lean frame to arch away instinctively as he let out a low hiss of protest between his coughing. Coming out of his fit, he took a few steps towards Henry, stumbling whether because he had been drinking too much or because of his bad leg was unknown, but he stopped before his cane on the floor and scooped it up stiffly, relieved to have put his weight back on the stick rather than his bad leg.

"Rest assured, Mr. Carlyle, Alice was well taken care of. As you plainly saw earlier this afternoon, she bodes well. All she's missing… is her memories. Memories that _you_ can bring back to her."

"I see..." Henry said, almost reverently. He already knew he had to break the Curse - but now...now the stakes were higher, a game set to be played with the rules exactly to Rumpelstiltskin's liking; rigged so he couldn't lose.

Mr. Gold raised his fist to his mouth once more, coughing into it with enough vigor that he was forced to close his eyes into a squint in an attempt to bear the pain that followed. Whether it was from the alcohol running through his blood or whatever sickness ailed the man, sweat began to form on his forehead causing strands of his hair to cling to his skin. All strength that Mr. Gold held was gone in an instant, drained immediately and the man began to sway on his feet until he began to collapse on himself in front of Henry. Henry's eyes widened, but he made no move to grab the falling Mr. Gold until he clattered with an audible _thud_ on the ground, his cane rolling useless across the floor.

Henry knelt down by the pawnbroker, eyes narrowing.

"You sonofabitch." He hissed through grit teeth. "Why is it that _I'm_ supposed to be the savior and no one tells me a goddamn thing?" He practically shouted in the older man's face. Without saying another word, Henry tried to lift Mr. Gold; but found the man too heavy (despite his incredibly lean build) but with whatever willpower Mr. Gold had left in him, the two of them together managed to get the Pawnbroker back onto his feet, though leaving Mr. Gold leaning heavily on Henry in support.

"You're not...dying on my watch, Imp - I need answers first." Henry said to Mr. Gold, huffing slightly as he tried to match his pace with the weak stumbles of the older man. Henry helped walk him towards a rather austere looking reclaimer placed just-so-conveniently near the back wall - trying to ease Mr. Gold into the seat with though with less grace than a doctor. It didn't take much convincing on Henry's part for Mr. Gold to finally relax into the furniture. He let his head drop back, resting at an awkward angle against the wall behind him with his hand resting on his chest as he attempted to regain his breath, but it wasn't coming easily. He could hear Henry speaking to him, but the dull buzzing noises in his ears kept him from being able to understand what he was saying, only able to just keep his eyes closed and concentrate on holding on...just a little longer...

"You have...to break...this curse..." Mr. Gold managed in between staggered breaths, each word sounding like it could very well be his last.

Henry looked Mr. Gold up and down, unsure exactly what to do or say.

"Will you tell me what the hell is going on?! I _need_ answers, Rumpelstiltskin...the first of them being what the hell's wrong with _you_." Henry said, sounding quite unsympathetic to the Dark One's plight.  
>Something that sounded like a laugh came from Mr. Gold's throat, followed immediately by another coughing fit, but the smile remained on his face all the while keeping his eyes closed.<p>

"All magic...comes with a price..." He answered hoarsely. "What used to be in The...Enchanted Forest...is now here. The Dark One is not here, but my curse still remains...inside me...as the curse weakens, my own curse aims to kill me, but you must...break it..."

"So you're saying...if I break the Curse, I save you?" Henry asked, pacing from side to side calmly. "I'm not doing it for you..." Henry finally said after some time. "If Alice and Snow weren't involved...I'd be just as happy watching you die slowly - painfully. But you already knew that didn't you? You knew I wouldn't help unless you had something to make me want to help. I need Prince Charming to read to Snow White – just as you suggested to me a week ago but I was too blind to actually hear your words. But this time, this time is different. I finally found the game you're playing, and I think I might know how to do it this time." Henry finished, turning to leave.

Mr. Gold said nothing, nor did he move in protest as he heard Henry getting up to leave. He only breathed, a small sense of calming coming over him at Henry's words and this time, this time the old Pawnbroker believed him.

XXX

Faye stood outside, waiting for Henry to finish speaking with Mr. Gold. Soon enough Henry came out of the shop, wrinkling her nose at the slight stench of smoke and alcohol coming off of him.

"Got what you needed from Mr. Gold?"

"Yes...I did." Henry answered, though it was quite obvious there was more to it. "We need to go find Mark...there's an errand I need him to run for me." Henry told her next, trying to smile gently to reassure her it wouldn't take long. But his smile faltered.

"What kind of errand did you want Mark to do for you?"

"Oh, I just need him to talk to David Nolan for me - the two of them are close, well...close by Mark's standard from what I saw. I feel that Mark could speak to him better than I. Nothing you need worry about." He said, now smiling genuinely, placing a single hand on her cheek reassuringly.

"Henry. At least answer my questions. Why do you need Mark to talk to David Nolan?"

"_Prove to me that I can trust you!"_ Faye didn't say this out loud, but she didn't like having no answers, or having to assume what's going on in his mind. Having no information or knowledge of a situation or topic means being left in powerless state.

"I need David to read to the Jane Doe patient…and I need Mark's influence to persuade him." He confessed with a sigh, dreading the fact that the inquisitive doctor would most likely ask why.

"But why David Nolan out of everyone in Storybrooke?" Faye didn't even want to start on the other thoughts on her mind. Why this was so important all of a sudden, what Henry had gotten information of from the Pawnbroker and why he smelt of smoke and alcohol after only being in Mr. Gold's shop for five minutes?

"Because..." Henry began, a hint of a smile on his face again, "My gut tells me to." He finished, placing both hands in his coat pockets. "I've got a hunch...besides, what's the worst thing that _David_ will do?" Henry asked her with a chuckle.

Faye had a gut wrenching feeling that he was lying to her, but she didn't comment on it as she answered,

"Good point, I guess. Well, let's go and find Mr. Dufresne then. He may still be with the nuns."

_"I'm stretching my neck out for you here Henry…"_

"Very good, let's be off!" Henry proclaimed excitedly as he, on his own impulse, took Faye's hand in his own; beginning the short walk that led from the pawnshop to the nunnery. That was the wonderful thing about Storybrooke, everything was practically within a reasonable walking distance.

Though it was growing later, a moderate amount of people still filled the town square - chatting and catching up with one another. A strangely jovial Mark was making conversation with Marco, separate from the main crowd. Henry led Faye through the people until he caught up to Mark, who was in a _riveting_ discussion with Marco about how to fix a power drill. Mark seemed to notice Henry and Faye approach, and wished Marco a good night before turning to look at the duo.

"Well, there you are - the nuns have been looking all over for you, Mr. Carlyle." Mark greeted with a small smile. "I didn't think you'd have it in you, Newcomer...but you pulled through." Mark complimented with a firm clasp on his shoulder. "If you ever need anything from me: just ask." Mark offered seriously, seeming to look at Henry with newfound respect. "And don't think I've forgotten you either, Dr. Stevenson. You accounted for thirty-six candles alone: that's impressive. Good on you." Mark complimented her with a firm nod of his head, looking like a proud father overseeing the accomplishments of his children.

Faye smiled at Mark and she said to him politely,

"Thank you, Mr. Dufresne. Really, I'm just happy that I was able to help,"

Henry had a wide grin on his face as he spoke next,

"You're most kind, Mark...I think I'll want to cash that favor in now, actually."

Mark raised a single eyebrow but didn't say a word, allowing Henry to continue. Henry cleared his throat for a moment, absentmindedly squeezing Faye's hand in his to show he hadn't forgotten her.

"I need you to ask David Nolan to read to the Jane Doe patient in the hospital..."

Mark looked somewhat perplexed at Henry's request, his hands finding their way into his jacket pockets.

"Bit of a strange request, Mr. Carlyle." He observed, reaching out of his pocket to scratch the back of his head.

"Yes, yes, I know. But it's very important to me...there's a storybook I keep in my car. I would like for David to read some of it to her." Henry detailed, his voice entirely serious.

"I won't question your reasons, Mr. Carlyle, but I can't promise that David will do it..." Mark replied, sounding somewhat skeptical.

"All I need you to do is ask." Henry reiterated with a sincere smile.

Mark remained silent for a few moments before exhaling deeply.

"To hell with it, fine, I'll talk to David about it." Mark finally agreed, holding out his right hand for Henry to shake. Henry was about to do so as well, but a sharp stinging sensation stopped him, and he winced painfully. So much to do, he had forgotten to let Faye get a good look at his injury.

Faye noticed Henry's wince and she shook her head at him and she said to him sternly,

"Henry. Your hand…" Her tone clearly stated that she wanted to treat his wound now. She was worried that it could have been infected by now.

"Yes, yes, I know." Henry replied, looking back at Faye for a moment as he spoke.

Mark took this as his turn to leave.

"I'll see if the pet shelter's still open… or if he's wandering around here somewhere. if so, I'll talk to David about this book of yours. Have a good night." He bid farewell before turning in the direction of the shelter.

Henry released his own hand from Faye's to rub at his injured one, trying to dull the throbbing that seemed to rhythmically pulse from it.

"We should...we should probably get home now, eh?" He asked her, trying to be lighthearted.

"Yes. We should. I can treat the wound there."

"Yes, of course...but I should get the book from my car first - so I can be ready to hand it over." Henry said in an even-mannered tone, beginning the (very) short trek to his vehicle.

He sifted through his belongings before procuring the large, ornate-looking storybook.

"Ah, here we are..." Henry announced with a smile, holding up the book for Faye to see. "Just need to hand this over to Mr. Nolan and we're all set!" Henry finished excitedly, but winced once again as his hand throbbed sorely.

"Great." Catching the title of the book in his hand, Faye couldn't help but to ask, "Which fairy tales are included in that book, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Almost all of them. It's quite the extensive collection." Henry replied with a smile, tucking the book under his arm. "Maybe you can look through it once David's read to the Jane Doe." Henry offered. "But anyways, I'm due in to relax a bit...it's been a _long_ day." He said, sounding slightly tired. But there was a bit of resolve to his tone, something that hinted that his promise of more romantic gestures was to still be honored.

As the two made their way down the street, leaving the heart of town where the lit candles those who stayed out this late were still holding no longer lit their path, a pair of shoes slapping against the pavement below them in a fast jog sounded behind them.

"Henry! Hey Henry!" David called out.

Henry stopped in his tracks as he heard a familiar voice call out to him. Turning around, he noticed David Nolan rushing up to him. "Yes, David? Can I help you?" Henry asked, masking his impatience with polite inquisitiveness.

David stopped as soon as he reached the two of them, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. He then gestured with his thumb behind him, even twisting his torso to look back a bit before looking back to Henry.

"I...Mark...Mark said you needed me to do something?" He asked panting just a bit, and his voice now confused since Henry seemed to not have any clue as to why he was there.

"Ah, yes! The fireman moves fast - I didn't expect to see you so soon. There's a certain comatose patient in the hospital that I'd like you to read to...I was given this book by an anonymous donor. I only read to the Jane Doe twice, but I could feel just a _little_ more activity when I read Snow White." Henry detailed, lying quite well as he explained the purpose. He grabbed the book from under his arm and handed it to David. "If you'll do this for me, I'd be much obliged." Henry added with a friendly smile.

David stood up tall once more as the book was handed over to him, though his confusion never really left his face.

"Read?" He repeated, looking over the title of the leather-bound book. "You mean like, volunteer?" David then looked from the book to Faye, as if she would better answer his questions. "What, is this some sort of new treatment?" He asked. He wasn't at all being sarcastic, just a bit lost as to what was going on.

Faye answered David, actually putting in effort to not use medical jargon that she is used to using when it came to talking about patients,

"Oh no, it's nothing new. You see, even if Jane Doe is in a coma, she can still hear. As long as communication is maintained, Jane Doe comes closer and closer to getting out of the coma. If someone isn't reading to her, we play some nice, comforting music for her, but it's not quite like having someone talking to her."

David nodded slowly, like an ADHD child _really_ making an effort to understand something that was really beyond their mental fortitude. He got the gist of it though, nodding more confidentially once she had finished talking.

"You know, my mother used to read to me when I was sick as a kid..." He said, attempting to relate the situation somehow, even if he was miles off. "You said she likes Snow White?" He then asked looking back to Henry.

Henry nodded sharply, "I noticed the most responses from that story...that and I find it quite similar to her current situation. You should be an absolutely wonderful volunteer." Henry added with a warm smile, wincing yet again as his wounded hand was making it _quite_ apparent that it wanted attention.

David nodded again and pointed a finger at Henry.

"Right, because you can't volunteer anymore..." He said, not in a way of offending Henry, only by vocalizing out loud that he was beginning to put the pieces together. "Sure, I can do that, I'll go tonight, provided the hospital is still open?" He asked, once again turning his attention back to Dr. Stevenson.

"Of course. It should still be open for doctors and volunteers. You count as a volunteer." Faye answered with a nod.

David's neck was getting sore from all the nodding, but he did it once more and tucked the book underneath his arm.

"Great, I'll uh...just head on down there then. You two have a...nice evening..." He couldn't help but to quirk a brow as he realized, for the first time since showing up there that the two of them seemed to be heading back to Dr. Stevenson's home. He then just shrugged, as if to say 'not any of my business' and then turned back around to head to the hospital. Reading out loud to Jane Doe during the middle of the night with no one around seemed less...embarrassing somehow.

"Now...I believe it's time we get a look at this hand." Henry said, looking at his hand, the wounds not looking well at all. "Lead the way, doctor." Henry motioned with his good hand, smiling.

XXX

"Well. Here it is." Faye brought out her own keys and unlocked the front door, letting herself and Henry in after the five minute walk that it took to reach her home. Henry had to adjust his eyes once more to the nearly pitch-darkness of the house (due to the power being out all across town), but stepped through the front door.

"I can hardly see...but it smells nice!" He complimented, slightly awkwardly.

"Er...Thank you." Faye blinked and stepped into the dark house, and reached to her side, where she knew was a decorative table. On top of that table, right where she placed her hand was a flashlight. She grabbed hold of it and clicked it on.

Had the power not gone out, her house would've been a lovely sight. It was clean and neatly decorated, except for the alcohol on the small table beside the large chair that sat in front of the empty fireplace in the living room. However, in the darkness, it looked like a perfect place for a monster to lurk about...

"Right. I'll direct you to the guest room, and give some ground rules along the way." Faye said leading the way.

"Sounds lovely!" Henry replied, seething through grit teeth as his hand kept on flaring up. "Lovely place, very...mysterious, I like it." He complimented in his usual tone, managing to sneak a healthy glance of the doctor here or there as she walked in front of him.

The doctor led him down the hallway, grabbing some antiseptics and bandages from the bathroom along the way, and when they passed a set of stairs that went down towards a heavy metal door, she said to him,

"Henry. **_Never_** go downstairs, under any circumstances."

For some reason, the darkness seemed to make Faye somber, grave, and even more wary than normal. It was as though she was scared of the possible monster that lurked in the shadows. Henry only nodded respectively, assuring her that he understood. Her house, her rules, but with knowing a little about Faye when she was still Heather Jekyll, he had a pretty good idea as to why. Soon they reached the guest bedroom and Faye spoke again.

"Here's the guest bedroom. Once you're in here at night, please, _stay_ here until morning. Lock your bedroom door." She cleared her throat, not wanting to scare her guest, but had to ensure he knew just how serious she was about all of this. "Now, let's tend to that wound." She got out a handkerchief from the small bundle of supplies she carried with her from the bathroom and poured a bit of the antiseptic on the cloth. "This is gonna sting." She warned him before she grabbed his injured hand and placed the cloth on the wound.

"Goddamnit!" Henry swore with a hiss as the antiseptic felt like someone was literally putting salt in the open wound. He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the sharp pain to pass.

Faye looked carefully at the wound, practiced eyes able to aid her while she worked in the dark, the only light coming in through the window from the moonlight above them. She watched as the Hydrogen Peroxide bubbled on the cuts, killing any bacteria that may cause infection and spent a few more minutes treating his hand with the chemical until no bubbles rose from his wound any longer..

"There we go. The disinfecting's done." She said happily as she moved on to start bandaging his hand.

"Good...good." Henry replied as he felt the pain slowly begin to linger away. "Because then I couldn't do this." He said before leaning in to kiss her once more. Faye blinked and at first she started to kiss back. But she stopped when she felt a familiar stab of pain in her heart, and for a brief moment, black flooded into Faye's blue eyes.

"No!" Faye gasped quietly and pulled back away from Henry. Realizing she may have accidentally sent the wrong message, she quickly apologized. "I'm-I'm sorry about that, Henry. I'm-I'm quite tired...I'll...I'll see you in the morning." She then hurried out of the room while reminding him with a hidden tone of fear and anxiousness in her voice, "Remember the rules I told you. _Please_" She closed the door behind her and her footsteps could be heard, almost sounding as if she were running.

Henry could do little but sit there, dumbfounded, at what had just occurred.

"Too soon, Chesh." He told himself, standing up to get undressed. "Too soon." He repeated bitterly, tossing his clothes to the ground until he was wearing only his suit.

XXX

A handful of moments later, rising Henry out of his nearly asleep state, He could hear footsteps moving about in the house and soon enough the sound of music coming from the large living room he had seen earlier.

"_I see the bad moon arising.  
>I see trouble on the way.<br>I see earthquakes and lightnin'.  
>I see those bad times today.<em>

_Don't go around tonight,  
>Well it's bound to take your life,<br>There's a bad moon on the rise._"

Henry stared at the closed door as he picked up the sound of music from the living room.

"Just...ignore it, Cat." He told himself as he tried to look back at his own Walkman player that was strewn on the bed. Though try as he might, he couldn't stop hearing that music continue on in his ears. The music continued, seeming to grow louder, loud enough to entice the cat's curiosity,

"_I hear hurricanes a blowing.  
>I know the end is coming soon.<br>I fear rivers over flowing.  
>I hear the voice of rage and ruin.<em>

_Well don't go around tonight,  
>Well it's bound to take your life,<br>There's a bad moon on the rise._"

Henry couldn't take it anymore, standing to his feet; he slowly and cautiously stepped towards the door of the room. He took in a deep breath and turned the handle, swinging the door wide open. He had a pretty big hunch who it might be on the other side...someone he had wanted to meet for a very, very long time. He walked through the threshold and down the halls until the living room came into view.

"_Hope you got your things together.  
>Hope you are quite prepared to die.<br>Looks like we're in for nasty weather.  
>One eye is taken for an eye.<em>"

The living room was lit only by the fire that was now burning with great passion in the fireplace. The large, green, cushioned chair that faced towards the fireplace, was now occupied by someone. On the table, the small glass and glass container of scotch, was replaced by two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine. In the living room, Henry would also notice large bookshelves filled with many different books, along with a grand piano. The source of the music however, was coming from an IPod connected to a platform with speakers.

"_Well don't go around tonight,  
>Well it's bound to take your life,<br>There's a bad moon on the rise._"

The occupant of the chair spoke up, the figure never standing up to show herself, but her voice was all too familiar,

"Why, Henry. How good of you to join me."

"Well...hello, Sweetie." Henry greeted in a flirty manner as he made his way to the large fireplace. "Been awhile, hasn't it?" He asked nonchalantly, hands in his trouser pockets, by habit.

"Hmm...yes, it has. I see that the good Doctor has been quite..._generous_ to offer you a place to stay."

"Yes...and I'm very grateful. Oh, but you already know that, don't you? Because our good Dr. Stevenson is sitting in that chair exactly where you are." He said nonchalantly, moving towards the small table to fill a wine glass for both of them.

As he neared the end table, Henry looked to where he assumed the woman was sitting in the chair, the very same woman of which his first encounter had been back at The Rabbit Hole, and then again when she offered to take the heat from Regina's planted evidence and then a third time when he had sprung her from jail after stealing the key from Regina. However, there was no such woman, but instead mannequin and in that mannequin's lap was a small voice recorder, replaying a message in eerie clarity.

"_And yet...it appears you've been quite horrible...you chronic liar..._"

Before Henry had time to blink, the woman was behind him and had grappled him, pinning his arms behind him with her hand quickly moving to his throat, not squeezing any air out, but threatening to rip his vocal cords out with her nails.

"Gotcha. Now...what is it that you know?" She asked with malicious glee tickling at her voice.

"What a reunion, eh? You should have told me you were gonna play hard-to-get." Henry joked, managing a small grin masking the terror he held in his voice, however the same couldn't be said for his eyes. "And I can see you're still as beautiful as ever...my, my, my, how the time flies." He added, seeming to regress back into his "Cat" persona.

The woman seemed to smirk and she chuckled darkly,

"Hmhmhm, how cute. But you of all people should know very well, that one of the morals to fairy tales-" At this point, she nuzzled the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent, "-is to never trust the flatterers."

It was at this point that Henry was able to get a good look at what the woman was wearing; not at all what Faye had been wearing just a while ago but a beautiful and seductive red dress that truly made her look as though she could be the Ruler of Hell herself.

The woman quickly pushed Henry down to the carpeted floor during his distracted glance and got over him, her knees pinning themselves harshly against Henry's ribs. With a scalpel in hand (making Henry wonder just where the hell she had been hiding that) she warned him,

"Now then. We can do this the easy way...or the hard way. It's all your choice. Who do you think I am?"

"That's a lovely dress, Ms. Hyde..." Henry began with a smirk across his lips, "Only thing lovelier would be to see you _out_ of it." He added, seemingly not paying any attention to the surgical instrument in her hand. He knew Faye…_Heather_ was still in there somewhere, Hyde could never _truly_ hurt him…he hoped.

"I see the _cat_ is out of the bag." She sighed airily "Such a shame...! It looks like I have to kill you." She then smirked wickedly. "And it's such a shame that you set yourself up for your own death. You really shouldn't have messed with that circuit breaker! The cameras are off, and mommy won't be able to see what I've done with your poor, mangled corpse."

"I can see that now." Henry responded, masking his fear with airy confidence. "But I _so_ missed seeing you, why, I had to do something. So...how's about you kindly let me move, we'll both go to the bedroom...and by the time we're done, you'll be ready to forgive me, eh?" He offered with a cheeky grin, surprised at how he could feel so much fear and enticement towards the same woman.

Her hands slammed against the floor, in a sudden quick movement, landing on either side of Henry's head. She gazed into Henry's eyes with her black soulless ones.

"Now, why would I be interested in someone who runs? You admitted it yourself that you've been running from your past, all your life."

She licked her lips and she asked, not giving Henry time to answer the question.

"You know what runs, Mr. Carlyle? _Prey_ runs." The word 'prey' came out as an animalistic growl, and her lips curled into a snarl.

"I'm a cat...it's my nature." Henry responded almost cryptically. "But you'll find that those who run, oftentimes simply wait for the best moment to strike." With this, he tried to lean his head in as best he could, given the circumstances. "I want you." He growled at her, eyes narrowing coolly. "And something tells me...you share the sentiment." He added, licking his lips slower-than-necessary.

Hyde inhaled through her nostrils and she commented,

"You reek of fear. Not desire. I know where your loyalties lie...with that _Mayor_."

"Sleeping with someone and being _loyal_ to them are two different things, my dear. I'm _loyal_ to Dr. Stevenson...both parts of her." Henry reassured seriously, occasionally shifting his eyes down to glimpse at her chest before looking back up again. "And I can assure you...there _is_ desire." He said in an almost seductive manner, keeping his composure. "You could probably see it easier if you weren't trying to kill me."

Hyde laughed bitterly.

"That's what they all said...the men who tried long before you. They swore they were loyal to us, but they were liars! They got their end. I'm not about to risk our identities being exposed to The Mayor. No one here in Storybrooke knows about us, and now that you do, I simply can't let you live with that secret."

Henry thought quickly, knowing that Hyde would soon lose her patience and decide to kill him.

"Think about it this way, then...I know who _you_ are...and you know who _I_ am, at least what I've been able to gather from all of your cat puns. So how's about we _both_ keep each other's secrets from The Mayor, eh? Everyone's happy..." He offered, looking slightly tense.

Hyde narrowed her gaze at him and she let out a growl like "Hmmm..." in thought. She then looked up at the ceiling, and she seemed to give a huff of annoyance. She backed away from him, and stood up with her scalpel in hand and placed it on the table next to the wine. The very moment she did, the overhead lights flickered on to life.

"Congratulations." He had survived his encounter with Ms. Hyde.

Henry looked up as the lights suddenly flashed back on, grinning at his incredible stroke of luck as he centered his head on Hyde again.

"Gratefully accepted." He said with a small glint in his eyes. "Now...maybe we could move on to that _desire_ part I was talking about?" He practically purred, amazing himself with how quickly he could switch emotions.

Hyde smirked.

"Well...I suppose the very first survivor should get a prize..."

XXX

It was spooky really, being in the hospital in the dead of night while the power was out. Still though, David pushed forward until he reached the hospital room that held the Jane Doe, and had held the Jane Doe for as long as he could remember. David stood in the doorway, hesitating breaking through the threshold as if he would disturb the comatose woman if he took another step closer.

As he stood there, fidgeting, he remembered the first time he had come to visit the woman; Mayor Mills had visited him at work and asked him to follow her to the hospital, putting him in front of Jane Doe and asked if he knew her. Of course he didn't _know_ her, no one in Storybrooke did, there was a reason everyone called her Jane Doe...

Raising his fist to his mouth, he purposefully cleared his throat, as if to make his appearance known to the woman, holding the book tight under his other arm. He finally took the step into the room and pulled over an old, brown chair reserved for those who came to visit and sat down. He couldn't help but to look upon her face, so fair in complexion, such was the face of innocence.

"I uh..." David cleared his throat again and wiped his sweaty palms on the knees of his jeans. "I was asked to come and read you a story, so uh, just keep in mind that I'm doing this for a friend..." David shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he opened up the book, flipping through the pages to find the story of Snow White, using the back light of the heart monitor as his light source. He was grateful that at least the hospital had backup generators to keep it going, who knew what would happen to a coma patient if these machines were turned off too?

Finally finding the chapter, David flipped through a few more pages, wondering where to start. Henry didn't exactly say where he had left off last time he read to her, and as he flipped through the pages the story of Snow White seemed to be pretty long.

"I guess I'll just start from the beginning..." David said out loud and flipped back to the first page of the chapter, finding a picture that took up the entirety of the first page of what he could assume was a very young Snow White putting on a tiara in front of a mirror. David cleared his throat again, and began...

"Once upon a time there lived a young girl named Snow White. Having been born on the coldest winter day of the year, her mother, Queen Eva, named her appropriately so..."

David paused, listening to the heart-rate monitor's steady beeping sounds and looked upon the woman's face again, though this time with a slight smile before he continued on.

The minutes turned into hours, and before David knew it, it was breaching nearly three in the morning. The only time he had stopped before now was when the security guard, Knox, had come to check and make sure that the backup generators were working; that and about two hours ago the power had returned, allowing David to read further without having to squint his eyes so much.

The spine of the book was resting against Jane Doe's hospital bed, his hands on either side of the large book. After checking the time, he promised to read one more chapter before calling it a night.

"...they didn't need words to express what they felt in their hearts. It was here, in the shadow of the Troll Bridge that their love was born, for they knew, no matter how they were separated that they would-"

David jumped as he felt a cool hand grab onto his. With wide, startled eyes, he looked down to his hand to see that it was Jane Doe's hand that had grabbed his, holding onto his hand ever so softly, reaching out for comfort. As soon as the startled adrenaline faded away, David blinked, realizing what this meant. She was waking up!

David quickly got up from the chair, setting the book down and rushed out of the room calling for Dr. Whale.

"I'm sure she's waking up!" David said hurriedly as Dr. Whale followed behind him back into Jane Doe's hospital room. "She...she grabbed my hand..." David knew it was crazy sounding, but he was never a really good liar and everyone in the town knew that. Dr. Whale _had_ to believe him.

When they finally arrived at Jane Doe's hospital bed, she looked the same as ever, but to David, she looked just a bit more...alive. Perhaps it was the color of her skin that seemed to glow just a bit healthier, but he was sure that she was waking up.

Dr. Whale checked the IV in her arm and looked up to the computer monitor, studying the numbers carefully in silence causing David to start grinding his teeth in anticipation. Dr. Whale looked away from the monitor and checked Jane Doe's pulse, and then looked back to the screen shaking his head no.

"Everything looks steady." He said to David. "It's the same that it's always been...what were you doing in here?"

David shook his head a few times, unsure of what to say, what to do.

"I was just reading her...a...a story..." He said truthfully.

"Ah, well...perhaps you uh...dosed off?" Dr. Whale tried, stuffing his hands into his lab coat pockets. "It is rather late, perhaps you imagined it."

"No, I didn't imagine anything." David affirmed immediately.

"Mr. Nolan I can only confirm what I see-" Dr. Whale gestured towards the computer monitor. "-which is...nothing. Sometimes there _are_ minor fluctuations and readings; perhaps you heard the machine register something and misunderstood?"

David looked down at the floor, racking his brain. Was it really possible that he had imagined it? Her hand on his, it felt so real...so alive...

"Mr. Nolan, go home, get some rest. If anything changes I'll call you okay?"

David nodded with a dejected sigh, grabbing the book from the chair he had spent the last four hours reading from. Maybe he _was_ just tired; it had been a long day after all. He nodded a quick goodbye to Dr. Whale and then took his leave. Only when Dr. Whale was sure that David was gone did the doctor reach into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He hit speed dial number four, and waited.

"Do you have _any_ idea what time it is?" Regina snapped on the other end of the line.

"You told me to call you if there was any change in the Jane Doe..." Dr. Whale began, ignoring the venomous and obviously pissed off greeting from the Mayor. "Something's happened."

Regina immediately hung up her phone and sprung out of her bed, no longer did the tiredness pull her eyelids shut as they had just moments before and rushed to get ready for the day, a permanent frown on her face as she did. It didn't take too long before Regina reached the hospital, and after speaking with a few key officials, headed to the room where Jane Doe was kept, only to find it completely empty.

Jane Doe had gone missing.

**Author's Note:**

**So this is the longest chapter I think I've written for this story, and for that I apologize but there was so much to get out and I couldn't really find a good place to stop and begin another chapter (plus I really didn't want to drag on Miners Day for 4 chapters haha). Now, for those of you worried about Henry and Snow's relationship, I promised you long ago that I wouldn't be heading in that direction even though it seemed like it, and now you know why :) Patience my dear readers, just like the TV show a lot of things aren't explained right away. But now I can say that YAY! David Nolan is actually doing something! Haha. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, next chapter we will be looking for one Jane Doe ;) **


	16. Chapter 16: Jane Doe

**Author's Note:**

**Alright, getting a lot of hate for the whole Henry/Snow thing, but trust me I have a plan. I ****_know_**** it's coming across as creepy and just plain weird, that's the feeling I wanted to get into this because we all know that Snow isn't going to be with anyone but Charming. It's coming, I promise it's coming, but just like in the show that we all love, things just aren't that easy. **

**Also, to quickly answer a question I've gotten a couple times in regard to Prince James (mentioned in both this RP and the prologue) this is (in both stories) the Shepherd. Sorry I didn't make that clear enough.**

"Where _is_ she?"

Dr. Whale fumbled with his words, stuttering a great while before the color in his face drained even more. Talking to Regina personally was a scary act in itself, talking with a very angry Regina was even worse. He looked down at his clipboard for what felt like the thousandth time, hoping that the status of Jane Doe would have changed to 'dismissed,' at least that way he would have an answer for Regina, that she simply went home, but it wasn't that simple.

Annoyed, Regina shook her head and dug her hand into her pocket, pulling out her cellphone and speed-dialing Robert. Hopefully by now, whatever had crawled up his ass yesterday had dissolved. Gods knew she needed him right now.

"Hello, Storybrooke sheriff's office, how can I help you?" Despite knowing it was Regina, Robert had a certain protocol to stand by; at least today he did. He had to wonder if she was calling to remind him about Mason's papers at the station; it certainly wouldn't be out of character for her to rub it in his face.

"Robert..." Regina started without any sort of filter to keep out the anxiousness in her voice. "I need you down here at the hospital as soon as possible. The coma patient has gone missing. Don't draw any attention though, the last thing we need is any panic from our residents if they were to find out. The less people that know about this, the better."

"Understood. I will be there as soon as I can."

Regina pocketed the phone and looked back to Dr. Whale who seemed to be talking with one of the nurses who had just arrived for her morning shift. Regina didn't know what kind of information _she_ would be able to give, but let the doctor do his work. Robert was coming, and that would be...something…

Dr. Whale dismissed the nurse after jotting a few things down on his clipboard before pulling his own cellphone from his pocket and gave Dr. Stevenson a very early (but very necessary) phone call.

XXX

Faye groaned and opened her eyes to see her alarm clock blink 5:59 AM in red numbers. She turned in her bed to see-

_"Henry?" _

Faye remained still in shock for a moment before she looked under the covers, feeling a scream starting to well in her voice box as her face reddened into an alarming tone. Thankfully, she managed to keep silent as she got out of the bed carefully, trying not to wake Henry, and snuck out of her room after she put on some clothes. Once she was out of her room and closed the door, she sighed in relief, until her cell phone began to ring. She quickly fished her cell phone out and greeted with a slightly panicked,

"Hello?"

"Dr. Stevenson." Dr. Whale greeted, though his voice far from jovial. "I understand it's early, but we have a bit of a situation down here at the hospital. Did you, uh, by any chance sign any release papers for Jane Doe?"

XXX

The cell phone ringing was enough to stir Henry awake from a rather _disturbing_ dream. Disturbing enough that he was layered in a thin sheen of sweat, his breath slightly panicked. Holding his head to try and recall where and _what_ he was, Henry slowly climbed out of bed. He stooped down to collect his strewn clothes on the ground, getting himself dressed and feeling as though he _really_ wanted a drink.

"So...is it Faye or Hyde at the moment?" Henry called out, though not in an unkind or unfriendly manner - simply wanting an honest answer as he tried to adjust his glasses onto his face.

Faye finished her conversation with Dr. Whale when she heard Henry call out and paled at his question. He knew about her other persona? No. That wasn't important right now! Right now, her patient had disappeared and she needed to help everyone find her. She opted to ignore Henry's question as she darted back into her room and started gathering what she needed before she started hurrying towards the door.

"Leaving so soon?" Henry asked nonchalantly, leaning against the wall; blissfully unaware that the Jane Doe patient was missing.

_"Least Regina offered me coffee afterwards..." _He thought bitterly to himself.

"Why don't you stay for a bit, Faye. I'm sure Dr. _Whale_ can handle anything that comes up." Henry said, stating the other doctor's name with disgust; as though it nauseated him to say it.

"Sorry, Mr. Carlyle, but this is an emergency! Jane Doe is missing, and I need to help find her." Faye responded hurriedly after checking to make sure she had everything she needed before going off to the hospital.

"Wh-what?" Was all Henry could say, flabbergasted. Snow White was missing? That meant...that meant that it _worked_ - she was awake! "We...we have to find her!" Henry cried out, perhaps sounding a tad bit excited: an emotion he couldn't help to mask given the circumstances.

Faye raised an eyebrow, stopping to turn and face him for a moment.

"Henry, I think it would be wise if you stayed here…" The last time he had met up with Jane Doe, he was accused for being a creep. After stating her opinion, she turned to head out again so she could join in the search. "If you happen to see Jane Doe, call me!"

"Al...alright." Henry said quietly, placing both hands in his coat pockets. "Faye..." He began seriously, "Make sure she's safe." He told her, showing a sense of almost _caring_, even though he still said he had no idea who the patient was.

Faye nodded in response right before she left her house. There could be worse things than leaving Henry alone in her home for a few minutes.

XXX

Robert walked into the hospital and found Regina arguing with Dr. Whale. It wasn't too hard to find them, their voices carried all throughout the hospital. While the security guard may know more about the situation, Regina would be mad if he waited any longer and went straight to The Mayor.

"Okay, a coma patient just disappeared. Did anyone see her? Do we know roughly when this happened?" He asked loudly, trying to interrupt the other conversation. Both Dr. Whale and Regina immediately halted their bickering to look at Robert with scowls on their faces as if he had interrupted something important.

"Make yourself useful, _Doctor,_ and go check the security tapes." Regina said, dismissing Dr. Whale with a slight flourish of her hand. Dr. Whale cleared his throat irritably but did as he was told, leaving the hospital room to find Knox. Once he was gone, Regina let out an audible sigh and rubbed her temples before approaching Robert.

"Dr. Whale! I don't think-"

David Nolan stopped as he entered the room, finding only Regina and Robert there. At first David thought that he had entered the wrong room, but upon looking around at his surroundings he knew he was in the right place, despite the coma patient being missing everything else looked to be the same.

"Uh...is-is everything alright? Where's Dr. Whale?"

Faye had finally arrived to the hospital and quickly made her way to Jane Doe's room in hopes of finding a clue as to what happened or where she may have gone if she woke up and walked away on her own...  
>Instead, she found Robert, Regina, and most importantly, David in the room, all three of them deep conversation. She didn't see any signs of a struggle in the patient's room, but there was no clue as to where the Jane Doe could've walked off to.<p>

"Mr. Nolan. Could I ask you a question?" Faye needed to know what the patient's condition was when she was last seen.

David looked exceptionally relieved when Dr. Stevenson came into the room. He wasn't sure _what_ Regina and Dr. What would have done if she hadn't arrived just then.

"Of course doctor." David acknowledged with a nod, getting a narrowed look from Regina at the duo of new intrusions.

"There is a missing patient out there _Doctor_." Regina interjected towards Faye. "Save your questions for your own time." Regina turned to Robert then. "Sheriff Leland, if you can escort Mr. Nolan out of the hospital-"

"That is exactly the reason why I wish to speak with Mr. Nolan, _Madam Mayor_. He volunteered to read to Jane Doe last night, and asked for my permission to do so. Therefore, he would know best about Jane Doe's recent condition." Faye interjected with a serious tone.

"You did what?" Regina interrupted, glaring over at David, but got no reply as Dr. Stevenson continued on.

"Sheriff Leland, may I suggest that you check the hospital's security footage? I think the footage of last night may help." Faye offered. Robert nodded, and left the room without saying a word.

"Mr. Nolan, what was Jane Doe's condition when you read to her? Did she move or make any reaction at all?" Faye asked, directing her attention back to David. She kept in mind to check the monitor to figure out when exactly she disappeared.

David shifted uncomfortably from where he was. If Dr. Whale didn't believe him last night, why would Dr. Stevenson?

"I read the book Henry gave me last night, the story of Snow White-"

"_What_?" Regina huffed, more surprised than anything, but David continued on, braving ignoring The Mayor.

"-she grabbed my hand. I...I thought I was tired and imagining it, so I went home to get some sleep...it _was_ nearly three..." David didn't particularly care for Dr. Whale, but mentioning that he had told Dr. Whale all of this beforehand would have probably gotten him into some sort of trouble and he wasn't about to start up any new sort of trouble; at least not until after they found Jane Doe..._if_ they found Jane Doe...

Faye sighed at David and shook her head at him, relieved that Jane Doe was unharmed from his account, but a little annoyed that he ignored the indications that Jane Doe was waking up.

"Thank you, Mr. Nolan. But I do hope that you don't ignore something important like that again in the future." Faye headed over to the heart rate monitor and checked to see when the lined flattened. She nodded and she reported out loud to nobody in particular, "She disappeared at 4 AM."

"Where would she go?" David and Regina asked at the same time, eliciting a quick glance at the other. Regina sighed and shook her head, pulling away from the group in the room. She had to find out what was going on in that security room. She'd have to deal with David Nolan later.

David watched Regina walk out of the room and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He always felt as if somehow Regina sucked out all the oxygen in the air wherever she went.

"I don't know." Faye answered David. "But considering how long she's been in a coma, there's no doubt that she would be extremely confused. She could be anywhere in Storybrooke as of now. We need to organize a search party and fast."

"What do you need me to do?" He asked, a sense of heroism in the way he spoke, confidence now rising now that Regina was no longer in the room.

Faye thought about it for a moment and she nodded to herself before she answered David.

"Get a search party together, see if Sheriff Leland will help. Also, tell everyone to keep an eye out for Jane Doe, and make sure that if they see her, they'll call Sheriff Leland or the hospital. We're going to need everyone's help in this."

XXX

Walking into the security room, Regina found both Dr. Whale and Robert in the room talking with Knox, though they all looked completely lost as to what they were looking for since they didn't have a particular time frame to look at.

"David Nolan left this morning at three." Regina informed the men in the room, crossing her arms over her chest. "Dr. Stevenson suggests she left the room around four..."

Knox blinked, warily eyeing those who joined him in the surveillance room, before turning back to the television screen. Rewinding to the footage.

"Jane Doe got up and left through the back entrance of the hospital. The time was approximate four o'clock, like Dr. Stevenson previously mention-can we have less people crowding around, in the security room?" With a rather tired disposition, Knox couldn't help but snap out loud, not quite caring who he was addressing.

Regina stiffened, and although it could be interpreted towards Knox' cold remark it was instead directed towards watching the video footage, seeing Snow White coming out of her coma and walking out the door as if it were second nature.

_"This isn't possible…"_ Regina thought to herself as the color slowly began to drain from her face.

Rubbing his eyes in an irritated manner, Knox let out an exhausted sigh-yawn.

"Sorry, my- I _apologize_. I have been patrolling since yesterday, didn't catch a chance for any shut-eye...then _this_ happens, and I spend hours skimming through the security footage. I'll submit the appropriate reports with accompanying audio transcriptions and footage..."

Regina turned to Robert, still pale-faced and at a complete loss for words, expecting him for once to take up the mantle where she could not. Robert frowned in return.

"It is unfortunate that no one caught this sooner, but that is matter for your employer to review later. Right now we need to find her; I'll leave as soon as I find out who is going to help me search for her. It'd be helpful if someone could find a way to spread word of this, get it on the local radio stations, so everyone knows."

Eyes narrowing at the sheriff's earlier comment, Knox blinked more sleep from his eyes in order to give the man a sharper look, before turning back to the television. The Jane Doe...just up and left, during his patrol of the other side of the facility. They were greatly shorthanded last night thanks to Minors Day, and no one could really be blamed, though the security guard couldn't help but feel maybe he could have done something. Letting out a sigh, which turned into an outright yawn...they probably wouldn't need him, once the usual number of security staff came in.

"No!" Regina scolded, somehow finding her voice in her otherwise stunned disposition. "We can't cause any unnecessary alarm to the people of Storybrooke! A small search party, but that's it."

"You can count on me. I'll help you out Sheriff." David said walking into the room. Since Regina had left the door open upon her entry, David had overheard everything and answering Robert for volunteers.

"I'll give it a few hours before I file the missing person report, but no more. The longer we wait, the harder it gets to find her, and the more likely she is to get hurt. David, follow me, we'll start searching the immediate area now." Robert motioned for David to follow him out of the security room.

"I actually want someone to join us before we head out." David said, unmoving and looking over towards Knox. "Where's Ruby at? She's found people before, I bet she could do it again..."

Knox raised a brow at David's inquiry. Unless Ruby had magically been given a blood hound's sense of scent tracking- there was strange sense of deja-vu, his mind suddenly remembering Ruby first finding Mr. Gold in the dead of night, and then Maon in the mines and then recently of the black out, where he and Ruby stared at each other in the darkness of the security room…

"Ruby mentioned going upstairs...?"

David nodded and gave Robert a quick pat on the shoulder to signal that he would be right back before disappearing out of the security room and bounded upstairs to find his favorite brunette in Storybrooke.

Regina could only watch and shake her head, giving an audible sigh of irritation as she watched Robert then walk outside of the room to wait for David and Ruby. Her keen eyes glanced over at Knox, her brows softening a bit. Perhaps there was still a way...

XXX

Henry stepped through the entrance of Granny's, loosening his scarf in the temperature-controlled environment. A sincere smile came to his face as he was given a much warmer greeting from the citizens of Storybrooke than the day before when he was still an outcast. Even Mark, still alone and unsocial looked up at Henry, offering a small nod in greeting with a smile of his own. Taking this as an invitation, Henry walked over to the fireman's table; taking off his coat and hanging it on the back of the chair opposite Mark's as he took a seat.

"Good morning, Mr. Carlyle." Mark greeted in a tone that was _especially_ friendly for him, taking a drink from his coffee.

"And good morning to you, Mr. Dufresne. Bit chilly out, isn't it?" Henry asked, trying to make conversation.

"Yes, so it is. All the more incentive to drink coffee." Mark added neutrally, taking another drink as he looked out the window.

"Oh, I don't like coffee much - far too bitter." Henry said, sounding somewhat distracted as his mind wandered back to the dream he had last night. He didn't want to remember it, he _hated_ remembering it. He must have winced visibly, for Mark's voice seemed to echo towards him,

"Are you alright, Henry?"

"Oh...oh...yes, I'm fine. Just remembering a bad dream I had last night." He answered simply, sounding almost as though it caused him pain to speak of it.

"I see..." Mark replied simply, though his tone suggested he wanted to say more. "Anything you want to share?" He added on sincerely, green eyes staring straight at the teacher.

Henry hesitated for a moment, debating whether to disclose the full details of the dream to Mark - for even dreams had power, and Henry wasn't sure how much power mentioning The Dark One would hold.

"I...I can hardly remember. I was here, in Storybrooke, except the town was dead...gray. All I remember seeing is Mr. Gold on the ground...he was...stabbed and I was...holding a dagger in my hand. It was black, long, and jagged, as though it was wrought in shadow - and there was a _name_ written on the blade..."

"What was the name?" Mark asked curiously, not letting his eyes leave Henry for a moment.

"Rumpelstiltskin." Henry answered bluntly.

"Rumpelstiltskin? Like the fairy tale?" Mark repeated. His words implied sarcasm or amusement, but his tone was serious.

"Yes, like the fairy tale...strange, isn't it?" Henry asked, trying to deviate from the main topic.

"Yes...strange, indeed. Dreams are unusual occurrences, Mr. Carlyle. Don't dwell on them, if you want my advice; you'll end up driving yourself mad trying to apply order to disorder." Mark advised before asking for a to-go cup from the waitress.

"Yeah, suppose you're right." Henry replied, trying to sound genial once more; though it was difficult. He couldn't disclose everything he saw or experienced to Mark. That he had killed Rumpelstiltskin - and _became_ The Dark One, himself. The raw power, the fear, the feeling of helplessness as the cumulative knowledge and power of millennia past permeated his very being...and it was amazing. This only caused Henry to shudder more as he pushed the dangerous thoughts out of his mind.

"Let dreams stay dreams, Mr. Carlyle...People need to leave their Wonderlands - the real world is not so wonderful." Mark advised lastly before standing up to leave, coffee in hand. "It was good speaking with you, Mr. Carlyle. Have a pleasant day." Mark bid goodbye before heading to the door.

"If only you knew, _Tin Man_." Henry added after the fireman left the building, staying seated at the table to think...to ponder...to wonder.

XXX

Ruby had quickly been brought up to speed with everything that was going on and was brought downstairs to join up with Robert where the three of them exited the hospital through the same back door the Jane Doe had left, putting them directly into the forest.

"This place is massive! How are we supposed to find one person?" Ruby asked.

"Hey shhh, we might be able to hear her." David answered in a hushed voice, but Ruby wasn't buying it.

David had told her back at the hospital that they needed her because she had managed to find Mason in the mines where they could have easily gotten lost, but in Ruby's opinion, it was luck, not any sort of special skill she possessed. She tried vocalizing her opinion back at the hospital, but David was adamant about having her come along. It might have been his charming face, or big puppy-dog eyes, but Ruby eventually agreed, though she doubted she'd be much help.

"It's massive!" Ruby said again, as if the first time she said it had gone unheard.

While they were talking, Robert scanned the ground for any signs that someone had been there recently. He notice a few faint foot shaped impressions in the dirt, obviously belonging to someone who wasn't wearing shoes. There was a good chance these were Jane Doe's, someone who just woke up from a coma and wandered out wouldn't have shoes on hand. Robert cleared his throat loudly, and pointed towards the tracks on the ground.

David followed Robert's gaze and noticed the footprints and then gestured out to them for Ruby to see.

"See? We follow the path with the foot prints, we find Jane Doe." David said putting a hand on her shoulder and gently urged her forward down the narrow, sloped trail.

"I shouldn't be here, I'm just going to screw everything up-" Ruby stopped suddenly, so suddenly that David didn't even have time to react and collided right behind her with an "oof."

"Wait...I hear her..." Ruby said, unmoving. Her eyes were wide and darting around, looking for the source of the noise she was hearing. It was like finding Mr. Gold all over again, and Mason. Sounds she could hear that no one else could, sounds that she didn't fully comprehend but knew they were there...just out of reach.

"Really?" David asked, looking back to Robert silently asking him if he heard anything.  
>but Robert just shook his head no back at David. "What did you hear?" David asked.<p>

Ruby continued to look around her surroundings, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the noises she was hearing.

"I don't know...I just hear her...or..._something…_" The thought hadn't crossed her mind that she might have been hearing a wild animal until now, thus causing her to doubt herself but only for a second before looking back at Robert, the noises only becoming more and more clear to her. It was definitely human, and definitely female. Without another word, Ruby started off again, veering off of the muddy trail and ducked into the thick foliage of the forest.

Robert scratched his head for a moment, but he was happy to have some sort of lead. He followed behind Ruby, keeping his distance and walking slowly. He'd stop her if she went to deep into the forest, but a little walk couldn't hurt.

"Hey guys!" Ruby called out, and David hurried after Robert into the foliage. Ruby hadn't gone far, but she was bent down on a knee looking at what looked like a hospital arm band stuck in one of the bushes. It read:

Jane Doe  
>DOB: Unknown<br>67140404

But that wasn't what had caught David's eye, instead it was the tiny little splash of crimson coloring on the name tag.

"Is that-?" David tried, hearing his voice croak.

"Blood." Ruby confirmed, biting her lip and looking up at the two men.

"Could be from the IV that was in her arm. I hope it's that and not anything else." Robert looked around, trying to see if there was anything else that would help find Jane Doe. Ruby got back up, clearing her throat to shake away the anxiousness that was now building up inside her.

"I think she's heading to the Toll Bridge."

This snapped David's attention.

"The what?" He asked, thinking she had said 'Troll Bridge;' he would have to blame that on the late night reading he did to Jane Doe, the last chapter he had read to her was about Snow White and Prince Charming's love being created on the Troll Bridge after Snow White had saved Prince Charming's life with a bit of Dark Fairy dust.

"Toll Bridge. It's a little ways into the forest. Not a whole lot of people know about it, that's why it's my place to go when I need to be alone and think." Ruby explained and led the way once more.

"Where is she? Can you see her?" David called out to Ruby, as she was much farther ahead than he was. David eventually cleared the foliage and found a small river that cut through the forest with twenty or so feet of rocks, sand and dirt keeping the trees from growing around it. True to Ruby's word, there was an old iron bridge suspended over the river, a white sign labeled 'Toll Bridge' in black and someone wrote in a red 'r' after the 'T' in 'Toll' as a joke who knows how long ago. With his eyes fixated on the coincidental name of the location, he didn't even see the woman lying halfway into the river, unconscious.

"There!" Ruby called out, making David snap out of it and return his attention to the Jane Doe.

Both relief and horror flooded David as he found his feet rushing towards the woman, hoisting her up and out of the water as gently and quickly as he could, completely tuning our Ruby's repeated 'Oh my god!'

Robert was startled by what he saw, but he had enough presence of mind to call 911. While David attended to the woman, he told the situation to the operator on the phone. David set Jane Doe back down onto the ground where there was a clearing of just soft dirt and sand, his hands cupping either side of the woman's face searching for any sign of life.

"No, nonono! We found you!" He said softly to her, though Jane Doe was far from responding. It was very likely she could have drowned given the position they had found her in.

"Is she okay? Is she going to be okay?" Ruby called from a good distance away. She wanted to help, but she doubted her stomach would allow her to do so. If Jane Doe was dead...

David put his ear up against Jane Doe's chest, listening for a heartbeat but it was nearly impossible with all the commotion going around and the ringing in his own ears.

"Come back to us!" David called out, then, in a hushed whisper before he even knew what he was saying, "Come back to [i]me[/i]..."

Removing his head from her chest, he took over by putting his hands together on the center of her torso. He had never performed CPR on a human in his life, but at the veterinary clinic he had plenty of experience with animals...how much different could it be? He pressed his hands down onto her chest six times, with each push his face eagerly looking on at the still unconscious Jane Doe. He could feel tears pulling at the corners of his eyes as after the sixth one did nothing still.

Throwing caution to the wind, David removed his hands from her chest and opened up her mouth and shut her nose, putting his mouth into hers and filling her with all the air he could spare before being forced back to breath for himself. He kept his head low, his lips merely centimeters still from hers and still the Jane Doe did nothing. The tears began to fall from his eyes, splashing down onto his cheeks and hers until suddenly, Jane Doe coughed up a large amount of water, splashing David's face in the process and gasping for breath. David held her head in his hands, looking down at her with a wide grin on his face as their eyes met.

Jane Doe woke up with a jolt, stunned by the sudden rush of senses. She saw a man staring at her, and noticed that she was cold and wet from the water. It was all very confusing, and the only thing she could recall was being asleep for a very long time. She recoiled away from the man hovering above her slightly.

"W-what happened?" in a trembling voice, too startled to say anything else.

David refused to let her recoil away from him too much, afraid that if he let go, she would somehow slip back into unconsciousness. When she began speaking, however, he eased his hands away, feeling his heart jumping up into his throat. He never really noticed it before, but she was absolutely beautiful; stunning in fact, and her voice, though weak and frightened, sang to him like a sweet lullaby.

"You've been in a coma, but it's okay, you're okay now. We've got you, and we're going to help you." He reassured her. "Can you walk?" He then asked, extending his hand out to her for her to help herself up with. He doubted that the ambulance that Robert had called for would be able to reach them directly.

Jane Doe recognized the man's voice almost immediately, although she could not recall ever hearing his name. It sounded friendly, and inviting, and she believed his words. Slowly, she rose to her feet, they felt uninjured but she was still in a haze after waking from her coma.

"Where am I?" The first of a long list of questions she had.

"The outskirts of Town, Storybrooke." David said putting his hand in hers with his opposite hand on her shoulder, stabilizing her in case she wasn't able to support her full weight yet. "There will be plenty of time for questions later, we need to get you back to the hospital and make sure everything is okay." David looked over to Robert and Ruby, nodding indicating for them to lead the way to where the ambulance was to meet them.

XXX

Once back at the hospital, Jane Doe had been filled in on almost everything that needed to be discussed with her about her time spent in the hospital. It was to the entire staff at the hospital's disappointment (and to David and the others) that Jane Doe couldn't tell them a thing about herself. She didn't know her name, where she came from, what had happened; her only recollection was sleeping and for a very, very long time. There were little snippets she could share, like being able to recognize David's voice from when he read to her, but nothing substantially important as to what her real identity was.

After Jane Doe was comfortable and settled back into the hospital bed where the doctors could now run full tests on her, Ruby decided to call it a day. She and Knox had spent the entire night patrolling the hospital and she was overdue for some good, solid sleep however she found that during their search Knox had gone home, no doubt to catch some sleep as well. The key ring in her pocket suddenly grew heavy as she realized she still had a key to his place; the least she could do is pop over there real quick and tell him that they had found Jane Doe, and so Ruby left the hospital to head over to Knox's place, knowing Granny would understand if she took the day off. She _did_ manage to save a life after all.

David sat on the edge of Jane Doe's bed, keeping her company while the doctors poked and prodded her. She was even brought a very light meal consisting of Jell-O and water, not wanting to send her into immediate sickness with having solid food in her stomach for the first time in...well, as long as anyone could remember. David didn't leave her side though, taking it upon himself to entertain her and make her smile and laugh to help pass the time. Due to the apparent memory loss, she would be staying at the hospital for a bit longer until the doctors felt that she was ready to go out on her own or if her memories came back, a silent prayer going through the hospital that it would be the latter.

"What do you think you'll do, you know, once you get released?" David asked bending at his waist slightly to circle a word he had just found in the word search the two of them had been working on for quite some time.

"I'll have to find a place to live, and a job. It'll be hard; I don't really remember anything I could put on a resume. What do you think of this town, anyway? Is it a good place to live?" Jane Doe said, trying to get some basic information about where she was.

"Storybrooke is the perfect place to live when you're not really sure what you can do or what you are capable of." David answered honestly, and circled another word. "I work down at the pet shelter; we're a little short on staff if animals are your kind of thing."

"I'd love to work with animals, I'll be sure to stop by once I get out of here."

David beamed. It wasn't really anything to grin at the way he did, but it was almost impossible for David to hide his happiness.

"Did the doctors know anything about what happened to me? I can't remember anything since waking up." Jane Doe said, still frustrated by her amnesia.

"The only thing I've ever heard is that Mayor Mills found you on the side of the road a while back, in a crashed car." David shrugged. "It must have been pretty bad for you to lose your memory so bad though." Almost sensing her frustration, David extended his arm out and put his hand loosely on top of hers, meeting her eyes in a sincere gaze. "Don't worry, I'll help you remember, whatever it takes."

"Thank you, you've been so kind. If The Mayor is the one who saved me from the car wreck, I'd like to meet her and thank her in person. If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't be alive right now."

David seemed to hesitate at first. Regina wasn't exactly known for her kind words lately, however his thought process was completely detoured as Dr. Stevenson approached the two of them apprehensively, looking as if she might be afraid to interrupt them.

Faye didn't want to interrupt the two, but she did need to do her job and give Jane Doe the results of her diagnostic tests. She walked up to the two of them, and greeted the two of them politely,

"Hello. I'm sorry for interrupting, but I'd like to give Ms. Doe her results."

David nodded and started to get up from the edge of Jane Doe's bed. He didn't need to be around to hear the results, it was personal information intended only for Dr. Stevenson and herself.

"I'll go grab us some lunch. I doubt that Jell-O tied you over much."

Jane Doe looked in David's direction, and gave him a small wave goodbye.

"I'd imagine I've worked up quite an appetite after a few years of sleep." She mused with a white smile, then turned to look at Dr. Stevenon once David had gone. "Thank you, doctor. Anything I should know about up front?"

"Well, you seem to be in good health. There really aren't any other major problems."

"Good to hear. Thank you for taking care of me, I feel pretty good even after what's happened. What did you say your name was?"

"It's really no problem." Faye answered Jane Doe. "I am Dr. Faye Stevenson, nice to meet you Miss Doe, I'm sure you'll be able to make some new memories here in Storybrooke."

Jane Doe stretched out her hand to offer a hand shake.

"Nice to meet you, I hope my new memories are good ones."

Faye shook Jane's hand but just as soon as she did, her pager beeped. She let go of Jane Doe's hand and unclipped the square piece of plastic from her hip and took a quick look.

"Oh, Duty calls! Have a good day, Ms. Doe. Just let me know if you need anything okay?"

XXX

Ruby paused on the porch connected to the front door of Knox's place. She couldn't help but to shift her weight awkwardly as she stared down the doorknob, debating whether or not she should actually be there. On one hand, Ruby hadn't ever really been invited over since he had offered her a place to stay during her fight with Granny, on the other hand, he had never asked for his key back. He could also be sleeping, and then what would she do?

_"Stop thinking and just go!"_ She tried telling herself and slipped the key into the hole, turning it and then allowing herself in.

"Knox?" She called, not sure if she would prefer if he answered or not.

Knox almost didn't catch Ruby calling out to him, as he stood in the steaming hot shower with his head down, letting (hoping) the water drown out the migraine raging though his head…as well as rinsing out the soap. Raising his head slowly, and blinking a little bit in exhaustion, he shut off the water and stepped to the steamy air.

Grabbing a white fluffy towel and drying himself off, Knox got his black boxer briefs and uniform pants (loosely) on. As he dried his hair, he stepped out into the hall to finally return the waitress's call,

"Ruby, are you still there?"

Ruby poked her head from around the wall that lead into the kitchen, nibbling on a vanilla wafer. She had heard the shower running during her search for Knox, and figured she'd raid his kitchen a little bit while she waited. What she didn't count on, however, was a shirtless Knox looking for her.

"Hey..." She said with a slight blush hinting at her cheeks, unable to take her eyes off of his exposed body for a few moments. "We found her, Jane Doe. She's going to be fine though she's suffering a pretty severe case of amnesia."

Nodding at the mention of Jane Doe, there was a tiny voice in the back of his head nagging something about the woman, but he largely ignored it. And then there was this migraine. Peering over at Ruby, who was returning with an interesting look to hi-

"Hey, are those my vanilla wafers?"

"Relax; I'll replace the box later today. I haven't eaten since..." Ruby's mind wandered back to the security room where she was practically force-fed a cookie, the blush on her cheeks only getting darker. Did that count as eating?

Trying to recall the last time Knox personally saw the waitress eat something, he remembered the cookie from last night a well, and let out a chuckle.

"Replace them, and maybe we could eat an actual meal together." That last part came out off-handily, and the memory of steaks going cold came to mind. "More importantly, neither of us have proper sleep...I'm sorry to have gotten you caught up in patrolling the hospital, since the blackout." Pausing for a moment to think, "You did well, and then you went above and beyond with finding that missing Jane Doe."

Ruby shook her head, popping what was left of the vanilla wafer into her mouth before closing the awkward distance between the two of them, letting her arms wrap around his waist loosely and put her forehead onto his chest tiredly. She got a good whiff of his soap and shampoo before she answered; making her voice even sound like it was smiling.

"You didn't force me to stay, I wanted to." She responded, deciding to hold back the facts about her finding Jane Doe at the Toll Bridge by hearing things no one else could hear...again.

Blinking when Ruby rested her head on his chest, Knox smiled tiredly, and patted her on the back.

"Don't stand too close, or I'm going to get you wet." Realizing that the statement sounded funny, he quickly added, "I still have some towel drying to do." Still, he let the towel hang loosely around his shoulders.

Ruby made a point of nuzzling her head into his still damp chest, wordlessly telling him that she didn't care.

"It's quite evident you've been working harder, longer, and to better effect than I have, recently. You really should catch some much deserved sleep." Doing his best to convince the waitress to get some rest, he thought for a long moment, before gesturing to the living room, "I would suggest the bedroom, but I'm afraid if we both go, neither of us would be getting the rest we need."

It was then that Ruby pulled back just enough to tilt her chin up and look at his face, a playful smirk on her lips.

"You're over-confident. What makes you think I'd be interested?" She inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Shaking his head, Knox leaned his face close into Ruby's, so close that his wet hair was grazing the side of her cheeks. A faint smile played on his lips, but from this close, his exhaustion was that much more evident…as was the waitress's, "That train of thought is rather unimportant, at the moment…I fully intend for you to get some sleep."

"You're no fun." Ruby frowned, but didn't seem too bothered by it evident by the playful shove she gave him on his chest.

Raising his face, Knox kissed into the girl's hair, before fully drawing away…he let out that tired sigh, running a hand through his hair and quirking an eyebrow at Ruby.

"Am I the only one getting a headache from lack of sleep?"

Ruby put her hand to his head, running her fingers through his hair delicately as if that would ease the pain he was experiencing. She couldn't say that she had a headache exactly. She was tired and her eyes hurt a bit, but that was as far as it went.

"Go get some sleep you big meanie. I'll talk to Granny about making up another pie for later."

Giving Ruby a glare, Knox towel dried his hair for a moment…then tossed the fluffy towel aside, going over to pull her to him, holding her face to his chest, "Come on, time to sleep." Sighing through his nose, he pulled the waitress along to the couch with him.

Soon he was laid out on the couch on his back, with Ruby pulled on top of him, her head still rested on his chest. "You should-" A pause for a short yawn. "Did you call your grandmother last night, after the blackout? I'm sure she's worried."

Ruby nodded into his chest, letting her eyelids flutter closed after letting out a quiet yawn.

"Called her as soon as the power came back on. She wasn't too happy with me waking her up in the middle of the night but whatever. And she's just going to have to get over me taking today off, there's no way in hell I would have been able to do the morning shift today...at least...not with my neck still smelling like strawberry rhubarb pie..."

"…when you see your grandmother, later, give her my thanks for the pie." With the memory of the sweet, sweet strawberry rhubarb pie filling, and now at present the soft skin of Ruby's face resting on his bare chest…Knox squeezed his eyes shut, and thought about anything but the girl pressed more than just close to him. The man needed to get over this headache, the man needed his sleep. Ruby really did smell like strawberry rhubarb.

"Okay, but I chose to _not_ tell her what we did with it." Ruby smirked in between two yawns and nuzzled her face into his chest even further before drifting off to sleep.

XXX

_"__They're cute, aren't they?"_

_Recoiling from the glass display case at the sound of this melodic voice breaking through the otherwise hypnotic rhythmic pitter-patter of the rain, Knox turned to come face to face with a young woman. Her skin was pale as bone, lips as red as blood, hair as dark as the deepest waters. Eyes darting between the display case with the rabbits, and the girl his age, he furrowed his eyebrows and tried to play it off with a nonchalant tone, "Just rabbits..."_

_Her giggle caught his ear, smile was brilliant, eyes glittered with mirth, and "Your cheek was pressed against the glass!"_

_With his eyes widening a fraction, in the corner of his vision, Knox caught sight of the smudge on glass…and realized one cheek did in fact feel a temperature colder than the other, but yet again, the man tried to play it off. This time, he hastily put together his excuse, quite obviously, "I, ah...was just waiting inside for the rain to stop." The store owner turned to give him cut-eye, but he paid no mind to this._

_With a tilt of her head, her hair fell a certain way along her shoulders, "A big strong man like you, afraid of a little rain? If anything…there is a bar right next door, wouldn't you have had a drink or two while waiting for the rain to let up?"_

_With a frown and narrowed eyes, Knox thumbed to the direction of the bar, "Yes, I was just about to head ther-"_

_"Good! I planned on going myself, but a girl like me needs a big strong man to keep her company!" With this cheery exclamation, the young woman linked arms with him and...Off they went. Shanghaied into spending the afternoon in a bar with...Mary Margaret, and from what he remembered feeling, he didn't particularly mind._

_-_

_Laying in the shade, Knox felt the comfortable warmth of the sun beaming onto his pant leg. There was a light sensation, touching along his chest, up his neck. His first inclination was Mary Margaret, but...it started chirping, hopping onto his chin. With a hand reaching up, trying to swipe the bird off, he missed just a few inches and the bird flew off and up onto a high tree branch._

_Blinking some sleep from his eyes, fingers of light poked through the leafy trees, gently touching his body with its warmth. Sitting up on the picnic blanket, and looking up blankly at the bird that had just narrowly escaped his grasp, Knox finally noticed another little bird hopping up and down. Mary, hopping up and down trying to reach for a balloon stuck among the leaves of the tree, an unfamiliar child crying beside her._

_Getting up from where he sat, brushing out some grass that had mysteriously found its way into his hair, Knox tried to make sense of an already pretty obvious scene. The helium filled balloon was pretty high up in the tree, the child was making grabby hands at it, and Mary was trying to catch a string far out of reach...and from his estimation, just out of his own reach._

_Thinking, smirking, and going over to Mary and-with careful strength, much to her surprise, Knox pulled her up and onto his shoulder. Adding his height onto hers, and supporting her on his shoulder, the balloon itself was just an arm's length away from her. The string was practically resting against her shirt. Quickly grasping the sudden situation, Mary Margaret grabbed onto the balloon string, and Knox was relieved that he could finally let her down._

_Rolling his shoulder as Mary tied the balloon string onto the child's wrist, she still didn't face him, even as Knox wrapped his arms around her from behind, "We make a good team." His comment, met with her silence. Planting a kiss into her short cut hair, speaking quietly, "Are you still upset that I asked you to-"_

_"You're asking me to uproot my life, forget about my friends, and move away with you to some town I haven't heard of...I can understand your father wanting to return to his childhood home, but why do we-"_

XXX

Eyes blinking, Knox didn't know the exact moment when he awoken in his living room, how long he stared up at the ceiling. For a moment, he tried to remember what he had dreamt...but there was a sinking feeling in his stomach, and the shadows of the now darker room seemed to flicker alive. The sinking feeling that, despite the happiness or whatever he felt for a moment in his dream, he was losing something more important...but the security guard brushed it off, though a restlessness stayed with him.

Still without a shirt and Ruby warm, resting her head against his chest-Knox raised himself on his arms, and gently shook the unconscious girl, "Come on, I need to get up..." Peering over her, his eyes caught her soft lips. Licking his own, he leaned uncomfortably down to give her the barest peck just beside her mouth...when his entire dream, his memories came flooding in.

Trying to push away from the girl in a panic, the man landed on the cold hard floor, scrambling back and hitting the coffee table while Ruby flopped onto her side on the couch. Blinking, suddenly breaking into cold sweat...with his memories back, this whole living space, even Ruby seemed different.

"Shit, shit, shit...I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry..." Muttering this, cursing under his breath, feeling sweat dripping down the side of his face...Knox patted down the side of his pants like they too were unfamiliar, before fishing out his cellphone and calling the hospital, "...hello, yes. Can you get Dr. Stevenson on the line?"

Ruby couldn't wipe the surprise off of her face. One minute she had been sleeping (quite comfortably), woken with a sweet kiss and the next thing she knew Knox was freaking out.

"Knox! What's wrong? Is everything okay?" Ruby pushed herself off of the couch and rested her hand on his arm as he waited for Dr. Stevenson to pick up the phone. She had never seen him like this; Knox was always so...neutral; even in the face of an emergency (such as last night's power outage) he remained perfectly vigil.

Knox's breath hitched in his throat as Ruby touched him, eyes widening as he scooted away and spoke into the phone in an even more panicked manner, "Get Dr. Stevenson on the line..." Gritting his teeth, eyes shaking as he breathed harshly...closing his eyes and shaking his head, he continued, "I'm not having a panic attack, I'm fin-GET Dr. Stevenson on the DAMNED line! I know who our Jane Doe is!"

**Author's Note:**

**Is it really a cliffhanger if we all already know what's going to happen? LOL hoped you guys liked this chapter, FINALLY we got some David/MM sweetness that we loved in the show, so there :)**


	17. Chapter 17: Forgotten Memories

**Author's Note:**

**To those of you not looking forward to the whole Mary Margaret/David Nolan cheating thing, don't worry, I'm treating their situation just a bit differently that has a MUCH quicker resolution :)**

Surprised was an understatement when Faye heard Knox admit that he was Jane Do-Mary Margaret's husband. After Faye spoke with Knox on the phone, she went to check the records for confirmation, to find that Knox was telling the truth. Document upon document confirming everything he had related to her over the phone with all the physical proof she would ever need; but hadn't ever recalled seeing them before. Faye put the documents back and quickly headed to Mary Margaret's hospital room. Someone needed to tell her of the...good news before Knox came barreling into the hospital and frightening the poor girl with an overload of information.

Just outside of the hospital, Knox hastily parked into his usual spot and hurried inside. The shirt he wore wasn't properly buttoned, but he didn't even spare a thought on how his hands shook buttoning them as he went over to the car...thoughts of Mary Margaret, his Mary Margaret filling his mind.

His migraine was gone, that was the only other thing that he thought of, and he trudged through the halls in a hurry...like reward for remembering that which was important. Now, only a small part of him thought of the waitress who he felt all too comfortable with- Knox mentally clawed and scraped as much of that out of his head. This was Mary Margaret he had to focus on...Mary Margaret, the second person he had almost lost.

The voice at the back of his head shamed him, telling the security guard that had lost more than that, telling him he had lost Ruby.

Shaking his head, Knox almost felt physically ill as he made his way to the former Jane Doe's room...just about nearly bumping into Dr. Stevenson along the wake. Dr. Stevenson stopped herself just before the collision and when she saw who it was, she fell silent before she could utter an apology. Blinking, Knox crossed his arms uneasily, staring down at the doctor with a worn expression.

"Have you...have you told her yet?"

"I was just on my way to tell her, Mr. Kowalski." Faye continued walking, leading Knox to Mary Margaret's room. "I'm glad to see your memory has come back to you, Mr. Kowalski."

Knox kept his head down as he followed behind the doctor, seeming much smaller than his frame would indicate.

"I wasn't there for her, this whole time..." Falling silent as he trudged behind her, a filtering thought came back to Knox's mind.

"I've hurt Ruby, too..."

"I...really let everyone down. If I remembered all this earlier, I could have spare a lot of people this...headache." He finished.

"Don't beat yourself up over this Mr. Kowalski. It's not your fault."Faye attempted to console her favorite security guard with a light smile.

"Don't...just don't, Dr. Stevenson. We all know whose to blame for this." He replied, as if her reassurances went into one of Knox's ears, and out the other...

Dr. Stevenson interjected seriously, knowing that he wasn't listening,

"I'm serious, Mr. Kowalski. I wouldn't be telling you this if I was lying. You had amnesia, nobody could help that."

There was in visible indication that Knox heard anything the doctor had said, his eyes were dull, like he wasn't all there...or, like he was in an indescribable amount pain. After a moment, the security guard spoke with much conviction in his voice,

"It doesn't matter...all that matters is that I stay by her side, as she recovers. I have to be here for her, now, when she needs me most. I will get her to remember me."

"Mr. Kowalski, just remember that memory will come back in time. She will remember you, you just have to be patient." Faye tried again before reaching Mary Margaret's room. "Here we are. Allow me just a moment Mr. Kowalski." She knocked on the door before she entered the room.

David looked up from his current position of sitting on the edge of the patient bed once more, this time instead of a crossword between the two of them, two styrofoam bowls of tomato soup from Granny's; lunch as he had promised Jane Doe and nothing solid as he promised Dr. Stevenson.

"Mr. Nolan, good to see you. Ms. Doe, I have good news! We found information on you." Faye proceeded to tell Mary Margaret and David Nolan everything they knew thus far. That included Jane Doe's real name and that she was married to Knox Kowalski, who had suffered from a minor case of amnesia from an accident a while back, explaining thusly how he didn't remember her until now.

Behind the doctor, Knox could only stand around sheepishly...and yet, eventually, he pushed his way inside. Barely keeping himself from launching at the amnesiac wife of his, the security guard managed to instead kneel by her bed, trying hard to keep a reassuring smile on his face...though, his insides twisted, not quite about to cry, but...

"At least you're safe, at least I can give you your name back...the first of many things I have to return to you, if I can..." Tentatively reaching over, he clasped the woman's bone white hand in his. "Mary Margaret, that's your name."

This all seemed too convenient and strange to Faye, however she kept her mouth shut as Knox seemed to take over. These situations needed to be handled delicately, however as David and Mary Margaret exchanged glances, Faye couldn't help but to look outside the room and through the glass, spotting Mayor Mills looking upon the scene with a rather confident look. As Faye looked at the Mayor, she recalled the facts that the Mayor had always come in to check on Jane Doe, was the emergency contact in case anything happened to Mary Margaret, and yet she never bothered to point out who Jane Doe was, and that she was married to Knox Kowalski. She politely excused herself and left the room, heading over to the Mayor, intent on speaking with the woman and getting answers.

David Nolan cleared his throat awkwardly. Although he was relieved that the woman at least had a name, and someone to claim her, he couldn't submerge the nauseating feeling in his gut that something wasn't quite...right; though he pushed that feeling to the side as some sort of feeling of selfishness.

"Well, Mary Margaret..." David said getting up from the hospital bed. "...you two have a lot to catch up on. Enjoy the soup." He gave a curt nod to both her and Knox before following after Dr. Stevenson. He'd dwell on these feelings later...much, much later.

It had been a strange day, but Mary Margaret was happy that someone could give her some more insight to who she was. Developing new memories since waking up by the river was easy, but everything before that gave her a nasty headache whenever she tried to focus on it. By default, she trusted people, although she would like to see some other evidence for something this important. Knox's grip was gentle and warm, it felt pleasant to her. Before responding to Knox, she said a goodbye to David, feeling just a little bit more exposed once he had gone and wished, for just a moment, that he would come back.

"I don't remember much, but Mary Margaret is a much nicer name than Jane Doe. May I ask who you are?" She asked, putting on a face sound as pleasant as she could.

There was something vulnerable about his wife, it suddenly struck him...something scared him inside, like losing another family member. But Knox desperately kept a brave face on, forced his reassuring smile to stay on.

"I...haven't been around, at all, since this situation. I promise, with no more excuses, I'll be right here with you for a full recovery."Shaking his head, realizing he was just going on a bit, he found he couldn't keep his eyes on hers."My name is Knox, Knox Kowalski...it may be quite a bit to take in, but I am your husband."

Mary Margaret thought for a moment about what to say, but could not remember anything that might help in this situation. She didn't remember him, didn't remember even that she was married. It felt stupid to ask the questions she had in her mind, as it would be like getting to know him all over again, but what else could she do?

"So, Knox, do you live here? Is there anything about me that you think would be good to share sooner rather than later?"

Still unable to keep eye contact, letting out his usual sigh,

"I live more than fifteen minutes from the hospital, on the other side of town..." For a moment, the type of person that Knox was,demanded that he spoke up about Ruby, confess to getting very close to the waitress...but somehow, he was able to push the thought away. Patting Mary Margaret on the hand, a strange smile curled up on his lips, "If you can come up with any questions, come to me for answers...don't strain yourself. One day, they will come back to you naturally, just as they did for me."

How was our married life? Do you remember how we met each other?" Mary Margaret couldn't help but to ask.

"It was fine." Realizing that a quick answer like that explained nothing, "I recall people always saying that you made up for what I lacked. Outgoing, sunny disposition..." For a moment, Knox recalled some people unbelieving that she'd choose a gloomy guy like him...maybe that's what attracted him to Ruby? The parallels were , almost wanting to actually shake more of her from his mind, Knox instead tried to focus on Mary Margaret's face. Maybe the amnesia made him feel this way, but she seemed so much more different from his memory...once she recovered, he helped her recover...things would fall comfortably into place...right?

Focusing on the second question at hand, Knox replied,

"Rabbits." Instantly, the security guard felt sheepish admitting his love of cute animals-not even, just mentioning the cute animal in question, but Knox continued to recall his first returned memory to Mary Margaret in as much detail as he could recall.

She could tell just by the way that he talked with her that Knox wasn't the most sociable person, and she respected him for trying his best. She listened to him for a while, believing his words (she really didn't have any other choice). It was hard to catch up on what seemed like years of memories in such a short time. His story sounded like it would be something she would do, she could imagine the scene perfectly; it was just frustrating that it was more of an image than a memory.

"What did we do for a living?"

Without missing a beat, Knox replied,

"I work security and surveillance for this hospital facility..." And yet, he hadn't even taken more than a glance at the 'Jane Doe's' room, till his memories returned...so close, and yet so far away. "You were a elementary school teacher. I remember coming to pick you up on your last working day, all the small children were crying for you not to leave. I...after that, we had our fight. You left a week early for Storybrooke where you got offered a new teaching position, while I stayed to finalize a few more things of importance."

Glancing at her face, Knox could outright tell that none of it had clicked with her, not yet. Thinking back to his home-their home...the packed boxes...the pictures! Turning to look at Mary Margaret directly in the eye, feeling a sense of unease at her lack of real recognition towards him, the security guard gently stroked her hand with his thumb. "I have pictures, of us. I can drive back to our place, and return with them as soon as I can."

Rising from where he knelt, this whole time, Knox brushed the dust of his pant legs and felt the minor soreness. Leaning over his wife, more tentatively then tenderly, he took her hands in his and planted a kiss on her brow. "Take care, I'll be back as quickly as I can, alright?" Firmly, he added, "Wait for me." Letting go of her hands, the security guard took a few steps back and waited for her answer, before turning and leaving altogether.

Mary Margaret waved at Knox as he left, eagerly awaiting the pictures. The area in which he had kissed on her forehead warm, but not familiar. She hoped they would provide some more answers, some sort of, jogging revelation. Mary Margaret settled back into her bed, setting the coup of soup aside that David had bought for her, no longer hungry and sighed, going back to counting the tiles on the ceiling.

XXX

With the search party out for Mary Margaret (at the time still Jane Doe) Regina had left the hospital to get Mason ready for school. Before leaving, however, Robert had given Regina a copy of the legal papers, binding Mason to her as her son and she his mother. In high spirits, after dropping Mason off at school, Regina returned to the hospital for the inevitable return of Jane Doe and watched as her handiwork fell into place like an easy jigsaw puzzle.

She watched just outside the glass room, keeping an eye on David Nolan and Jane Doe until Dr. Stevenson finally escorted the security guard inside.

"Mary Margaret, that's your name."

Regina's upper lip twitched into a light snarl. Mary Margaret? Well that certainly was a name, not one she would have picked out personally; perhaps that name somehow related back to The Enchanted Forest. Still, her snarl melted back into a smile as she watched first Dr. Stevenson excuse herself and was quickly followed by David Nolan, leaving the false husband to care for his false wife. Satisfied, and with better things to now do, Regina turned to make her leave.

Dr. Stevenson ignored David Nolan for now as she headed towards Regina, calling out seriously and in a way that showed that she wouldn't take no for an answer,

"Madam Mayor!"

Regina frowned in-step, but turned to face Faye with a perfected, fake smile.

"Yes, Dr. Stevenson?"

The doctor stopped after she caught up to the mayor, and she asked seriously,

"Why didn't you speak up about this earlier?"

"About what?" Regina folded her arms over her chest and tilted her head to the side just slightly, her voice remaining pleasant despite the annoyance she was feeling inside.

"About Mr. and...Mrs. Kowalski." Faye clarified, addressing Mary Margaret as such was so strange; it just didn't feel right to the doctor. "Isn't it strange how nobody knew about this until now?"

"I found out the same way you did, Doctor." Regina reassured her.

Skepticism was still clear on Faye's face as she pointed out,

"But Mr. Kowalski regaining his memories right after Mary Margaret wakes up...that just seems too convenient..."

"Well what else would make sense to you?" Regina challenged with a casual shrug. "Why would Mr. Kowalski lie? Oh, what, you think I cast a spell on him?" Regina couldn't help but to chuckle.

Faye raised an eyebrow as she continued,

"I just think that something isn't right here. Especially considering that you've been her emergency contact for the past five years, if not longer. You had to have known at least one thing from the very beginning."

Regina tilted her head thoughtfully in the opposite direction, adjusting her arms across her chest.

"I told you already, Doctor, I learned about this whole thing the same time you did. Mr. Kowalski's recollection is timely, yes. And here I thought that you and Mr. Nolan would be pleased. True love won out. So bask in the moment my dear, were it not for Mr. Nolan's rescue party they very well could have lived the rest of their lives alone." Regina's smile brightened, as if taking a moment to think over the joyful reunion.

"That's why I'm willing to forgive your incessant rudeness, because all of this has reminded me of something just as important; how grateful I am to have Mason. Because not having someone...well, that's the worst curse imaginable."

Faye raised an eyebrow at Regina's response and how she smiled brightly at that. She once again had the familiar gut feeling that told her that Regina was lying, but she didn't speak up about it. She looked somewhat offended when Regina said she would forgive her 'rudeness', but it quickly went away and she remained composed. Faye could only reply with a cold and stoic,

"I see." in response. Her pager went off, indicating that another patient needed her, and she looked back to Regina. "Have a good day then, Madam Mayor." She stated coldly before she turned and headed was no way she was going to get any answers from Regina, Faye knew that now. But what could she do...? Something wasn't right and she wanted to find out what.

XXX

With the side of her head resting atop of the bar, Ruby flicked what was left of the torn up straw wrapper onto the ground, joining the possible thirty other pieces that had been previously been ripped to shreds. Her face was flushed, her nose and eyes red from crying until there were no tears left, only the nauseous flip-flopping in her stomach remaining to remind her that she wasn't quite numb yet.

With a heavy sigh, Ruby raised her head to glare down at her perfectly full drink she had ordered almost an hour ago. Funny, the first time she legitimately could use a drink and it just didn't interest her...nothing did right now.

As Ruby wallowed in self-pity, she would have been able to hear the sound of footsteps approaching from behind, the floorboards creaking slightly with each step.

Giving no greeting or acknowledgement, Henry sat down beside her at the bar; taking a long drag from a cigarette he held between his index and middle finger.

"Damn habits...keep coming back." He said nonchalantly, as if oblivious to Ruby's current emotional state. Without waiting for her to respond, he signaled to the bartender; ordering himself a glass of red wine. "You look worse for wear." Henry observed aloud, finally turning to look at Ruby fully.

If Ruby had the energy, she would have scowled at Henry for that latter comment, but instead she kept her eyes forward looking at nothing in particular.

"I don't feel like talking." Came her almost snappy, bitter reply.

"And why's that, eh?" Henry asked in an almost snarky tone, but not unfriendly. "You're usually not like this." He observed, taking a drink from his wine as it was brought to him.

Ruby slowly turned her head to look at Henry, a single tear rolling down her cheek at the slight movement, though she either didn't notice or didn't care. She let out a quiet sigh and shook her head before returning to look straight back at the wall in front of her.

"You ever walk into a situation where you know exactly what's going to happen?" Ruby began, but kept going without waiting for an answer. "And then you go into it anyway, and then when what you're afraid of happens...you kick yourself because you should have known better...but that's just who you are, so you keep punishing yourself..." Another silent tear rolled down her cheek, but again Ruby made no move to wipe it away and just let it drip from her chin.

"Ha...all too well." Henry replied in an almost bitter manner, as if there were a bad taste in his mouth. "I was a...street magician in New York for a time before I came here. Bloody terrible pay, but the connections were nice. I struggled in every way you did...and I let other people around me suffer because of it: when they had no choice or control in the matter." Henry finished in an almost wistful manner, taking another long drink from his glass preceding a drag of his cigarette.

"You end up hardening yourself, I find. Until there's nothing left inside of you...that way the pain just rolls away." He added on quietly, feeling tears sting at his own eyes. But in his own defiance he kept them held in, refusing to let old memories pain him now.

Ruby turned her head to look at him once again, though shook it side to side slowly. He really had no idea what she was talking about did he? Ruby reached over to her untouched drink, only to watch the ice as she swirled the straw around in small circles; it was better than looking at the wall anyway.

"Knox is married." She said simply, knowing that she wouldn't have to explain anything much further. The words hardly rolled out of her mouth though, nearly choking as the sentence seemed so...alien to her. Sure she had only really spent enough time with Knox to count as 'casual dating' over the last two weeks but still, imagining him as a married man...happy with another woman, it just didn't fit; although that was probably her selfish side talking to her, trying to rationalize that this was all just one big, horrible dream.

"Bastard. Who's the unlucky bride?" Henry asked curiously, twirling the cigarette between his fingers to pass the time.

Ruby stopped spinning the quickly melting ice and sighed once more, looking down at the tear splashes on the counter top.

"Mary Margaret Blanchard Kowalski." She stated matter-of-factly. "But you, and the rest of the town probably only know her as Jane Doe from the hospital." She then pushed away her drink and rested her chin on her hands, shutting her eyes tightly to keep the new wave of tears from formulating.

Henry's reaction was quiet, somber, mostly through body language. His fingers stopped absentmindedly moving about, his posture became stiff and tall; his lips twitched.

"What?" He practically demanded, almost as if the words didn't register or connect. Suddenly realization hit him, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he rose from his seat at the bar; slamming a few bills on the counter top to pay for the drink. "Regina..." He muttered under his breath before turning to head towards the door. "I need to see things for myself." He told Ruby at a normal volume. "Keep your head up." He said lastly before starting to walk towards the front door.

Too emotionally drained to even begin to question Henry's reaction to the news, Ruby just pitifully waved him off with her hand as a sort of 'goodbye' and stared down the drink that she had pushed away just moments ago.

XXX

A small smile seemed to play at Henry's lips as he put his phone back in his trouser pockets. Mr. Gold called to inform him that the charges were officially dropped - any ban placed on the hospital and Granny's Bed and Breakfast was now lifted, giving Henry full access once again; precisely what he hastily made his way down the sidewalk towards the hospital, hands kept in his coat pockets to preserve them from the cold.

Feeling somewhat empowered by the news he received, Henry stepped through the front sliding glass doors to the hospital with a wide grin on his face, waiting for someone to try in vain to tell him to leave.  
>Nobody tried to get Henry to leave when he entered the hospital. The receptionist hung up the phone when she caught sight of Henry, and just gave him a glare, before she just went back to work. Henry stepped up to the receptionist's area, seemingly oblivious to Roz's rather ominous glare.<p>

"A fine afternoon to you, madam!" He greeted warmly enough. "Your left mole...one of them anyway, appears to be doing better!" He noticed cheerfully, feigning unawareness at the insult. "Could you call Dr. Stevenson down for me, please?" He asked; placing both hands in his coat pockets once again, rocking back and forth on his heels.

Roz narrowed her eyes at Henry menacingly at the mention of the moles. She didn't answer Henry as she paged Dr. Stevenson. After she paged the doctor, she told Henry in her grating voice,

"She should be on her way."

Faye in the meantime was still working, in the process of clearing Mary Margaret now that she had someone to look after her. It would still be a few days yet, but Faye was always about getting the paper work done ahead of schedule.

Hearing her pager going off, she quickly checked it and made her way to the front desk to see what the ill-tempered receptionist wanted this time. She immediately felt her heart drop the moment she spotted Henry, but her face remained firm as she greeted kindly,

"Ah, good afternoon, Henry."

"And to you...Sweetie." Henry greeted with an almost mischievous smile, now choosing to ignore the monstrous receptionist as if she was no longer there."Tell me-" He began, leaning in closely so only she could hear. "Do you remember anything during your time as Hyde?" He asked, sounding somewhat curious. They were unable to have this conversation earlier, and though now was a particularly bad time, he knew if he didn't ask now, things would just keep coming up and he'd never get the chance.

Faye raised an eyebrow, and yet felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. She noticed that Ms. Lezowski was looking at them in curiosity and asked Henry warily,

"I'm...sorry. What are you talking about Mr. Carlyle?"She really hoped that he didn't pursue this topic here. She didn't want people in the hospital to know that she had a mental disorder. There was a reason she went to Dr. Hopper and not anyone else; though she had recently learned that not even he could be counted on for complete silence.

"Yeaah...bad time, bad place. But I'm curious..." Henryretorted,still keeping his voice low. "She was rather steamy." He added with a cheeky grin before letting his voice raise back to normal. "Anyway...I was wondering if I could see...Mary Margaret, is it? I've been rather worried all morning for her condition." He stated in a serious tone.

Faye clenched her teeth together at the mention of 'her'. Thankfully, he dropped the subject and asked her if he could see Mary Margaret. Faye took a moment to think about it, and it showed on her face. She soon answered Henry apologetically,

"Mr. Carlyle, I think it would be in Mary Margaret's best interest if we gave her some space. Let her get accustomed to Storybrooke again, alright? She's already confused as is. Not to mention the last time you saw her didn't end very well. I hope you understand, Henry."

Regina was already suspicious. Henry...why would he care to see Mary Margaret? She asked him twice if he knew her, and twice he told her that he didn't, which were clearly lies. Something was up.

Henry kept his expression unchanged, but his eyes seemed to shout betrayal.

"I see...yes, that makes sense. Give Mrs. Kowalski my regards." He practically spat the word 'Mrs.' before turning to leave the building.

"Of course," Faye responded dejectedly, unable to keep her stomach from tying in knots. Before Henry had a chance to leave, however, Faye called out to him, "Mr. Carlyle-"

"My name is Henry." He interrupted abruptly, though didn't turn to look back at her.

Faye swallowed but continued, correcting herself,

"Henry...I am sorry. But...this doesn't mean you can't ever see Mary Margaret. It just...won't be tonight, alright?"

"Right...sure." Henry replied in a tone that signaled he was done with the conversation before exiting the double doors quietly.

Faye watched him leave quietly, and after he was gone, she walked off to continue her work. She kept telling herself that she had done the right thing in not allowing Henry to see Mary Margaret. If he had gone to see her, Faye would not only be betraying Knox's trust, but she would probably also have endangered Henry into another problem, most likely something like the incident that made the town see him as the town creep. He seemed to have a penchant for getting into trouble around here.

XXX

Sitting at her home office, Regina had just finished signing a waiver for a small business transaction regarding new playground equipment for the park when she decided to pull herself away from her desk to take a quick break. Walking over to Mason who was busy with his homework on the floor, Regina put a hand on his shoulder and bent down to kiss the top of his head. The news that she was now legally his mother had been celebrated as soon as she picked him up from school, consisting of taking him out for ice cream and enjoying it at the harbor docks, letting their bare feet dip into the cool ocean water. Afterwards, it was a bath for Mason and then on to homework while Regina took care of some Mayor business.

"Finish up your homework and I'll make us spaghetti for dinner." Regina promised, ruffling up Mason's hair a bit. Mason craned his neck to look up at Regina with a screwed up face, causing Regina to ask, "What? I thought you liked my spaghetti?"

"That was before you were really my mom. I'd say anything to keep from having to go back to the barn."

Regina chuckled and gently pushed him away from her playfully and Mason giggled in response, trying to push her back.

"I know my cooking isn't the best-"

"Which is why we should get pizza." Mason interrupted confidentially, causing Regina to grin.

"Alright, pizza it is, but you still need to finish your homework. Why don't you pack up here and finish up in the living room?"

Mason did as he was told and gathered up his books and papers, stuffing them into his backpack before getting up.

"Hey!" Regina called to him before he could turn to leave and poked at her cheek a few times. Mason grinned and went to Regina, throwing his arms around her neck and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before hoisting up his backpack and exited Regina's home office.

Standing back up straight, Regina took in a deep, relaxing breath as she made her way over to the window to take a quick peek outside. There was something about looking out at her apple tree that brought her a sense of comfort, and that narrow victory with Snow White coming out of her coma; well that was something worthy of needing to relax.

Something was off, however, causing Regina to press her face to the glass to get a better look at her tree. It looked…sick…dying even. Panic shot through her as she quickly left her home office and hurried outside through the back door to get a closer look at her tree. Upon further examination, the apples on the tree looked to be halfway to rotting, no longer providing the red, crisp apples it had been known to give for years upon years.

Tentatively, Regina plucked one of the rotted apples from the tree and held it gingerly in her hand, her mouth slightly agape in disbelief. This wasn't good, and only one man held the answers she needed; only one man could guarantee what she wanted.

Regina quickly retreated inside, rotted apple still in hand and called to Mason, telling him she was going out to pick up some pizza and to stay inside before grabbing a scarf and headed out to Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop.

XXX

_Many, many years ago…_

_Those seagulls were going to give him a headache…_

_Rumpelstiltskin followed behind Killian and Milah aboard the Jolly Roger, the crew who had noticed the apprehensive look on their Captain's face making them bustle about to make preparations. Milah was forced to help Killian walk given his weakened state of nearly having his heart ripped out, and with The Dark One following them as casually as if nothing were wrong really put the crew into a panic. He made a point to ignore them, however, passing up the opportunity to scare them out of their wits for a bit of entertainment. There was only one thing on his mind right now, and that was getting answers._

_"Milah, what happened?" One of the crewmates asked as the three of them stepped onto the deck of the ship._

_"Fetch some water. Get me that prisoner from below deck along with the loot he carried. NOW!"_

_Rumpelstiltskin stood by to watch as the shipmate hurried off to the command, and felt his blood starting to boil once again._

_"Well, well…it seems you've finally found a family you could never have with me." He stated, jovial at first but then slipping into dangerous anger towards the end. He continued walking however, exploring what bits of the ship he could. It looked a bit different now, but perhaps that was because he was standing and walking with authority and not down on his knees with a sword pointed at his throat._

_There was a slight commotion and a small group of pirates hoisted out a rather chubby fellow with his arms bound and a cloth wedged into his mouth; the prisoner no doubt Milah had been talking about. The crewmember who Milah had spoken with previously handed her a tiny satchel which she snatched immediately and dumped the contents out into her hand, briskly walking over to Rumpelstiltskin at the ships railing. Her urgency caught his attention, and so he turned to look at her seeing what looked like a clear bean in her hand, glinting mysteriously as the light caught its edges._

_Rumpelstiltskin reached out to grab it, however Milah tossed it aside where Killian then caught it in his own hand, the two of them exchanging smug looks at the other at their very quick game of 'Monkey in the Middle' with The Dark One._

_"You asked to see it and now you have." Killian said making a fist with his hand where the bean lay hidden._

_"Do we have a deal?" Milah asked, finishing Killian's thought. "Can we go our separate ways?"_

_"Do you mean, do I forgive you?" Rumpelstiltskin asked instead and began to circle around Milah. "Can I…move on? Perhaps…perhaps…I can see you are…twoooly in love." He stopped and turned to face Milah, now with Hook by her side, protecting her._

_"Thank you." Milah gave a slight nod and made a movement to turn to Killian._

_"JUST one moment…" Rumpelstiltskin said, stopping Milah, a dejected sigh coming from her as she faced her husband once more._

_"What do you want to know?" She asked._

_"How could you leave Bae?"_

_A tiny amount of color in Milah's face began to drain; she had really hoped that he would be past this by now. When she told him that she and Killian had lost Baelfire while traveling in a land without magic, she assumed that would be the end; he would go looking for her and leave her and Killian be. Evidently, that wasn't the case._

_The ropes binding the main sail down seemed to suddenly spring to life, as if someone had cut the taught rope but Milah, Killian and the crew knew it well enough to be magic; magic from The Dark One._

_"Do you know what it's like, having your entire world come crashing down on you?" He asked, more ropes snapping to life._

_"Rumpel-" Milah tried._

_"Thinking for four years that you had been stolen from me-"_

_"Please-"_

_"-only to be told that you and Bae were DEAD!"_

_"I was wrong to have Killian lie to you. I should have told you the moment we got home. I was a coward, I-"_

_"YOU LEFT HER! YOU ABANDONED HER!"_

_"And there's not a day that goes by that I don't feel sorry for that!"_

_"SORRY ISN'T ENOUGH!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted as loud as he could, waving his hand in an Italian flourish before dropping his voice and closing the distance between himself at Milah. "You let her go."_

_"I let my misery cloud my judgment."_

_"Why were you so miserable?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, sizing her up with his eyes. He had given her everything she could have ever wanted. A good home, a family… Milah bent forward, putting her face into his and grit her teeth, summoning up all the courage she had in her. Right now he wasn't The Dark One, right now, he was simply Rumpelstiltskin; the coward she had left behind._

_"Because I never loved you."_

_Rumpelstiltskin studied Milah's face, unsure what it was that he was looking for. Perhaps a flicker of doubt, for her to suddenly say that she was only joking, but it never came. Nothing ever came. Before Rumpelstiltskin even knew what he was doing, his hand had shot forward and embedded into Milah's chest._

_"NO!" Killian cried and attempted to rush towards The Dark One but Rumpelstiltskin raised his opposite hand, an electric purple haze surrounding his hand as suddenly Killian was thrown backwards into the mast, the ropes there pulsing to life and entrapping him there._

_With a slight tug, Rumpelstiltskin pulled Milah's heart from her chest, cradling it in his hand and watching the pain he inflicted on her face._

_"NO!" Killian cried again, and tried to fight the magic that bound him, ripping a steel hook that otherwise kept the ropes bound neatly from the wood and clawed his way out, dropping the hook in his haste to reach Milah in time to save her. Milah fell back, too weak to even comprehend the pain she was experiencing but Killian caught her just before she hit the deck and held her closely in his arms, looking down at Milah with such adoration in his eyes, it made Rumpelstiltskin sick._

_Milah gingerly reached up to touch Killian's face, soft whimpers of pain coming from her but she otherwise remained strong._

_"I love you." She breathed out, refusing to move her eyes away from Killian's._

_Rumpelstiltskin crushed the heart in his hand, savoring every feeble pulse he felt on his skin as her heart tried to fight back, every writhing, uncomfortable, squirming motion it made before the heart reduced to nothing but ash and let it trickle out of the cracks in his fist as Milah's body went completely dead. Killian rested Milah's head on the deck gently, his hand running over Milah's face delicately._

_"You may be more powerful now demon, but your no less a coward!" Killian shouted as he staggered to his feet to face Rumpelstiltskin._

_"I'll have what I came for now." Rumpelstiltskin remarked, his lips twitching into a smile. Somehow, there was a satisfaction that overcame him by killing Milah, like ridding himself of a poison that had been slowly killing him for years upon years._

_"You'll have to kill me first!"_

_"AH-AH! I'm afraid that's not in the cards for you sonny-boy!" Rumpelstiltskin unsheathed Killian's sword from his own hip (having not given it back since their duel) and with the flick of the wrist, the sword came down on Killian's enclosed hand, the hand with the bean inside of it, slicing through the skin, muscle and bone as if it were wet paper and the hand 'thudded' to the floor that was otherwise unheard as the air was filled with Killian's screams of pain._

_Rumpelstiltskin bent down and collected the bloodied hand and placed it into a pocket on the inside of his cloak, then pressed the flat blade of the sword onto Killian's shoulder._

_"I want you alive…because I want you to suffer…like I did…" With a quiet giggle, Rumpelstiltskin retreated the sword and put it back into the sheath at his hip, turning his back to Killian to leave the boat. Killian, on the other hand, wasn't finished. He grabbed the dropped steel hook into his good hand and lunged after Rumpelstiltskin, catching him off guard and plunged the hook into his chest. Rumpelstiltskin didn't cry out in pain, however, and instead…giggled…increasingly…_

_"Killing me is going to take a lot more than that dearie!" He chided, pointing at the hook still embedded into his chest._

_"Even demons can be killed!" Killan replied, his face only growing more and more angry with each passing moment. "I WILL FIND A WAY!"_

_"Well good luck living long enough…" And with the wind, Rumpelstiltskin vanished into a puff of red smoke, the metal hook that was once in his chest clattering to the deck without a single drop of blood on it. Killian went to collect the hook, looking at it first, then Milah's dead body, and then back to the hook, a new found emotion boiling up inside of him; vengeance._

_Rumpelstiltskin materialized back into the comfort of his quaint little home and pulled the still fisted hand of Killian Jones from his cloak and set it on a wooden desk. Carefully, he pried each finger open, but when three of the five fingers were open and the bean wasn't to be found, he hastened his pace until the hand was extended palm-up, and no bean._

_With a cry of rage, Rumpelstiltskin flipped the desk and all its contents on the floor. His one hope at finding Baelfire, gone with that bastard pirate. Someway, somehow, he had tricked him, and now it would take years to find another way._

XXX

Mr. Gold watched as Regina's silhouette walked angrily by the frosted glass window before the woman pushed open the door so hard that Mr. Gold winced, fearing for the safety of the little bell connected at the top. He was currently behind the counter with a book opened up to a specific page, however the book was long forgotten once he made eye contact with The Queen.

"Your Majesty! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Mr. Gold asked with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he reached for a bookmark to mark his place in his book, and then gently set the closed book aside. Regina hastily approached the desk and held up the rotted apple for Mr. Gold to see.

"My tree is dying." She stated, setting the apple down onto the counter abruptly. "Why?"

Mr. Gold took a good look at the apple before looking back up to Regina.

"Perhaps it's your fertilizer?" He suggested with a mock grin.

"You think this is funny? Well I'll tell you what I think…I think it's a sign of the curse weakening; because of Henry. But do you care? No! You're content to just sit back and do-" Regina gestured vaguely around the shop. "-whatever it is you're doing…while all my hard work burns!"

Mr. Gold looked upon Regina thoughtfully, his smirk never leaving his lips.

"That's not all is it?" He asked knowingly. "C'mon, might as well get everything off your chest." He said and began walking (cane in hand) from out behind the counter to the main floor of the antique shop, walking first to one of the side glass cases that held the more fragile items inside.

Regina scoffed.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She insisted, arms falling to her sides.

"Snow. She's awake, and was looking for Charming." Mr. Gold said in an irritated voice. If he had to drag the information out of Regina then so be it, he wasn't about to waste time now playing their little guessing games; he had important work to do.

"They'll be together over my dead body." Regina glowered, stuffing her hands into her suit jacket pockets with a huff.

"The curse was meant to take away Snow White and Prince Charming's happiness, perhaps you giving up your power as Mayor is the price to keep the curse…unbroken…" Mr. Gold suggested, crossing past Regina to the glass encasing where another book had been opened up with a pen in between the pages rested.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't tell me I'm the only one to realize your authority has been undermined as of late. The people are starting to doubt you. Your pet sheriff, for example; he tried to take Mason away."

"Yes but you saw to it that didn't happen." Regina reminded him, talking to Mr. Gold's back as he seemed occupied with the open book on top of the glass case.

"And what of Henry? It seems each time you try to do something for yourself; whether it was Mason or Snow, Henry takes another step to breaking the curse. You can't have both dearie, you can try…but you will fail."

"I think I just want to get rid of him." Regina stated, obviously talking about Henry. He did seem to be the bigger threat at the moment, everything else could come later once he was gone.

Mr. Gold scoffed and walked back to behind the counter after grabbing the pen that sat in between the book pages and faced Regina properly.

"Well, well…you're gonna have to be quite creative…we both know the repercussions of killing Mr. Carlyle-"

"-The curse would be broken." The two said at the same time, and Regina nodded her head with a subtle eye roll.

"That's because you designed it that way." Regina said approaching the counter once again, letting her palms rest heavily on the counter. "Undo it!" She said, as if it were as simple as breathing in air.

Mr. Gold chuckled and once again walked out from behind the counter, pen still in hand and cane in the other, and stopped next to Regina's side.

"You know, even if I wanted to, I couldn't." He said before heading to the opposite side of the room. "Magic…well, it's in short supply around here…dwindling by the minute." He stated while jotting down a few things in the open book with the pen he held in his hand.

"You never told me…why do you want the curse broken?" Regina almost hissed.

"That's not something I care to discuss." Mr. Gold replied heatedly.

"Don't bother, you can shove your reasons." Regina said crossing back over to him and got into his face with a soft smile. "I want to strike a new deal."

Mr. Gold set down the pen back onto the book and turned to face Regina fully, letting his arm rest on top of the glass case.

"One where I can get rid of Henry without shattering the curse."

"Unfortunately for you-" Mr. Gold said pausing to lick his lips. "-that negotiation requires two interested parties; and…I'm already planning a trip." He gave Regina a quick smile and then headed back to the counter where he took the book that he had bookmarked earlier and pulled it open.

"I'll give you anything." Regina said, and Mr. Gold could hear the utter desperation in her voice.

"Ohhhh…." He sighed out, formulating the decision to a very tough choice in his head although he already knew what the answer was, it was like turning down free money. "You no longer have anything I want...dearie" He pointed out, turning to face her slightly. "But I will give you a piece of advice, free of charge. I'd plan a trip of your own. Because once people have woken up, and remember who you are, and what you did to them…" He paused to laugh and turned his back to her again, setting down the pen on the book before turning his attention to a world globe and spun it around a few times. "…they are going to be looking for blood."

When Regina said nothing, Mr. Gold gave an audible smirk, knowing that he had finally reached her in her stubborn little mind.

"I'll be having what I want now. Go to your vault tonight, and bring me the apple by morning...please…"

He heard the sound of heels clicking on the floor and then the creak of his front door combined with the tiny jingle of the bell and then the door shut, leaving the pawnbroker alone in his shop once more. Once he was sure that Regina wasn't coming back, he let lose the cough that had been tickling the back of his throat ever since Regina had entered his pawnshop. He was sure that it was just the one cough, but it was immediately followed by more violent ones, causing his body to tremble and feel as if his thin ribs would collapse under the pressure.

He quickly walked back behind the counter and pulled out a glass bottle of brandy and tossed off the lid. Not even bothering with a crystal glass this time, he raised the bottle to his lips and downed the entirety of the bottle, the liquid rushing down his throat seeming to subdue the coughing…some. His hands were trembling, however, and he had lost his grip on the bottle and it crashed to the floor in a thousand tiny pieces. He seemed not to care, however as he let his back rest up against the wall and pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket, dabbing the accumulating sweat away from his forehead and neck and trying to regain his breath.

**Author's Note:**

**Gonna be tying up the night with another steamy chapter, so coming up next, more smut. You have been warned.**


	18. Chapter 18: Seeing Red

**Author's Note:**

**As warned in my previous chapter, the second half of this chapter contains a very graphic smut scene, so…you have been warned.**

The afternoon had slowly turned into evening and Henry was none the more melancholy. Faye still distrusted him: to the point of giving her allegiance to Knox Kowalski instead. The very thought of this was enough to make Henry's blood boil...but all he could think of doing now is grabbing himself a drink - and maybe a woman.

Stepping through the front doors to the Rabbit Hole, Henry quickly took off his scarf and coat; hanging them up on a nearby rack for safekeeping. His eyes instantly landed on Ruby, who apparently hadn't even left since he was last there. Reaching into his suit jacket pocket, Henry pulled out a single cigarette, planting it in-between his lips. This place always seemed to bring out his worst habits...

Ruby's eyes brightened the moment she saw Henry walking back into the bar, a queer transition from her behavior beforehand. Sure he had only been gone for a few hours, but she felt as if it had been days.

"Henry! Hey! Henry!" Ruby leaned over on the bar stool, looking like she was about to topple over it for a minute but somehow kept her balance despite her lanky figure spilling over the side. "I-have a queestionnnnn!" She sing-songed and patted the barstool next to her which was currently empty, as were a few glasses that were sitting in front of her. Also in front of her was a stack of what looked like pages of The Daily Mirror; none in any particular order and scattered about like Ruby was about to house-break a new puppy. "C'mere!"

Henry raised his eyebrow curiously: Ruby was drunk. Not a simple buzz or slight intoxication, but absolutely plastered. A small chuckle seemed to climb up his throat as he grabbed a Zippo lighter (designed with the four suits of a playing card deck) from his pocket, using it to light the cigarette in his mouth.

Slowly approaching the bar, per Ruby's request, Henry was whistling a small tune to himself whilst occasionally removing the cigarette from his lips to blow out smoke.

"A question, eh? Well...ask away." Henry replied in an interested tone, sitting down next to her.

Ruby seemed to calm down a bit as Henry joined her, and then turned back around to the multitude of newspapers scattered before her. Each of them had a picture on it, a picture of Henry. There were seven articles to be exact, from the new arrival business to the Jane Doe scandal to helping the nuns raise enough money to keep the convent open. These articles had been passed around Storybrooke quite often as of late, and the older articles weren't exactly hard to find if you knew where to look, but Ruby seemed to take a keen interest in them.

"You-youyouyouyou said you came to Brookstory alone right?" Ruby asked stacking the papers into a somewhat neater pile before laying them flat in front of Henry for him to see. "Remember? Member, member when I told you I knew evry'one here and their favorite color?" Ruby pointed at the picture she had put in front of Henry. It wasn't a great shot, just one of Henry's car with Henry still inside looking over a newspaper from when he had first arrived, but that's not what Ruby was pointing at.

Instead, she was pushing her finger down on a rather round looking man with an even rounder face. It was hard to see his specifics, as he was wearing a trench coat with the collar pushed up and a fedora to shade his face as well as sitting on one of the benches next to Henry's car also pretending to read a paper; definitely the look of a man who didn't want to be found.

"So then who's that?"

Henry nodded subtly as she began asking him about how she knew everyone; taking a few drags of his cigarette while carefully watching. His eyes narrowed subtly as they landed on the obscure fellow on the bench.

"I have...absolutely no idea." Henry answered; sounding sincerely perplexed. However, this sudden realization didn't stop him from ordering a glass of wine from the bartender; just as he had done earlier that afternoon.

Ruby didn't look pleased, and then pulled out the next article from underneath the first one. Another picture featuring Henry, this time of him sitting at a booth at Granny's alone, but again Ruby didn't point to Henry, but at the corner of the image where the same man was. This time he wasn't wearing the fedora, but the camera was so out of focus on him you couldn't get a clear look at his face.

"He's in all of 'em, but I've never seen him 'round Borystooke, like...ever, and yet he seems t'be in ev'ry single picture you are..."

"It appears I've acquired my first fan." Henry said dryly in response; clearly more interested in getting his base needs fulfilled as opposed to working out important mysteries. "Say..." He began, sounding as if he was going to change the subject. "How much have you drank tonight?" He asked curiously, yet with a hint of mischievousness to his tone.

Ruby furrowed her brows and sat up on the bar stool just a bit to reach over and pluck the cigarette from Henry's mouth, only to put it into her own where she eased back into the stool, giggled, and puffed the smoke out of her mouth.

"I've only had water." She blatantly lied. Henry caught the eye of the bartender, signaling to Henry that she probably shouldn't have any more to drink for the rest of the night before Ruby continued,

"But I'll let you buy me a drink or two..."

"Right, then." Henry replied with a small chuckle before waving the bartender over; showing no regard for the man's earlier obscure look. "Ello, mate! Two tequilas for my..._very_ sober friend here, please. I'll be sure she gets home safe." Henry ordered, flashing a dazzling smile; his last sentence catering to the bartender's suspicions.

The bartender didn't look too happy, but obliged by refilling Ruby's last drink and grumbling as he walked away to tend to some of the other guests. Ruby snatched the shot glass and drained its contents with the blink of an eye.

"Didju drive here?" Ruby asked, setting the once again empty glass back down onto the bar.

"Nope! Walked...and I suspect you and I will be walking back home as well." Henry said simply, taking a small sip from his wine as it was brought out to him. Turning somber, Henry began to relay his own problems to Ruby. "Faye wouldn't let me in to see the Jane Doe...or Mary Margaret, whatever you prefer. She's afraid I'll just cause more trouble - and who can blame her, eh?" He finished, switching moods in the blink of an eye as he stopped to take another drink.

"I dunno what _her_ problem is." Ruby snorted. "Aint nothin' wrong with a Prince Charming running around. I bet she's never even been kissed before; probably jealous. That paper article-" Ruby sat up on the stool again and filtered through the papers she had been showing Henry earlier to find the one written about the Jane Doe incident where Sidney had done a nasty article about him. "Bullshit if you ask me."

"Yes...bullshit indeed." Henry repeated with a small smirk. "You were the only one who saw it, at least - I thank you for that." He commended with a sincere smile. "So...how long were you planning on staying here, exactly?" He asked, reaching into his pocket again; this time procuring a small box of nicotine gum, popping a single piece into his mouth. "You can try and take this too, if you'd like." He added nonchalantly; as if unaware of the sensual implication.

"I'm good with the cancer stick. At least that will _eventually_ kill me." Ruby grumbled pulling the stolen cigarette from her mouth and patted the ashes down onto the ashtray provided by the bar. "And I'm here until I pass out, and before you give me any bullshit on how that's not a good way to cope...I know...I just don't care."

"Oh, that's alight...I'm here t' encourage ya!" Henry proclaimed cheerily. "You like wine?" He asked with a certain glint in his eyes, as if there were a number of improper thoughts running through his mind. Ruby didn't seem to notice, far beyond the point of picking up subtlety.

Ruby laughed for no apparent reason and let her head rest on Henry's shoulder in a tired-like fashion, or maybe even cuddly...

"I like whatever can get me drunk. And if _you_ can get me drunk, then I like you too!"

_"Too late for that..."_ Henry thought to himself with a small smirk.

"Then, I'm happy to oblige..." He said, almost quietly before deciding to order a full bottle.

XXX

Time seemed to pass all in a rush as Henry and Ruby did nothing but talk, drink (more Ruby than Henry), and even the occasional flirt here-or-there. However, as even the night crowd started to die down; Henry, (under the effect of a rather pleasant buzz), rose from his seat slowly.

"Hour's getting late..." He observed, though wasn't sure what time it even was at the moment. "I best be taking you home." He added on, quite hopeful for any _reward_ he'd receive upon 'delivery'.

Ruby really didn't have any choice but to obey, since she knew that she really wouldn't have any other way home if Henry left without her. She stumbled out of the barstool, using her hands to brace herself against Henry from hitting the floor. Apparently, to Ruby, it was the funniest thing in the world because she didn't stop giggling as they walked out of The Rabbit Hole together. Still giggling, Ruby even managed a flailing wave to a man she spotted in the corner of the room, eyeing the two of them with curious intent.

"Bye Doctor Whale! Have a drink on meeeee!"

Henry cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly as Ruby practically screamed at the doctor.

"Don't listen to her, doctor, have a nice night." Henry bid before tugging slightly on Ruby to get her to move faster out the door where there were (hopefully) no other civilians to embarrass.

The walk back to Granny's Bed and Breakfast was less than graceful; Henry had almost literally become her own two legs with how heavily she had to lean on him to keep from falling face-first into the pavement. Thankfully the only other person they ran into was Dr. Hopper on a late night walk with Pongo, but neither of them paid much attention to the staggering couple as they walked across the street to the run down building.

Once they reached the second floor (going up the stairs was a nightmare for poor Henry) Ruby tried to find her key in her pants pocket, but she would have had more luck getting struck by lightning right then. Not only could she not remember what pocket her key ring was in, but she wouldn't have even been able to identify the right key if she _had_ managed to find it.

"My, my...lost our keys, have we?" Henry asked rhetorically, more to himself than to her. He couldn't help a truly wicked smile as he began feeling about and in her pants pockets, perhaps lingering a bit longer-than-appropriate; gambling on Ruby's inability to notice.

Eventually after an awkward (yet enjoyable) amount of time, Henry managed to fish out the key ring with a victorious smile.

"Ah, wonderful! Here we are, then. Now...which one…" He finished perplexedly before trying to test all the keys in the keyhole for the right one.

"Hey..." Ruby said excessively patting Henry on the shoulder, though she kept her eyes on the keyhole as Henry tried each key to unlock it. "Hey hey hey! Hey...hey did Granny let you come back yet?"

"Correct-a-mundo!" Henry piped cheerily, only glancing back for a moment as he kept trying the keys. Finally, he seemed to find the right one as it neatly slid into the keyhole. With a relieved sigh, Henry turned the key, earning a small _clack_ sound as the door unlocked. Opening it slowly, Henry stepped to the side to allow Ruby entrance first to lie down...or throw up...or get undressed, whatever the like.

Ruby stepped into the threshold and turned around to face him in the doorway, now using the door jam as a bracer to keep from falling down rather than him.

"Did you get your room back?" She asked, tilting her head to the side like a curious puppy.

"I...assume so-"

"Good." Ruby said with a smile, her curious look shifting drastically to that of a predator. "Then I won't have to worry about getting you home on time." She snickered and with incredible accuracy (for being so drunk) Ruby held her hands on each side of Henry's face and pulled herself into him for a tight kiss.

Henry's eyes widened in shock for a brief moment as Ruby's lips crashed against his. But any previous judgment or willpower faded by the second until nothing was left but impulse. Not letting his lips part from hers, Henry gently pushed her inside and shut the door behind them.

Now finally alone, Henry let his inhibitions run free; his kiss becoming much more rough and passionate as lustful desire overtook him, his hands running up and down her body to finally get a feel at what he'd been staring at since he first came to Storybrooke. Damn outfits, he was sure he would never be able to _not_ think about Ruby in them even if he wanted to.

Ruby allowed herself to be pushed back, but that didn't take away from the passion she was giving him. Her hands moved down his face and to his neck until her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, keeping her body pressed up to him as close as she possibly could.

Henry let out a slightly-muffled groan of pleasure at her touch, his already-hardened cock occasionally poking into her through the material of his trousers, though he seemed to pay it no mind for the time being. Pulling away from the kiss long enough to catch some breath, Henry said quietly,

"I've wanted to do this for a _long _time..."

"Two weeks." Ruby breathed out, letting her head rest backwards a bit as she pulled the ponytail from her hair and let it fall freely past her shoulders. "I've been holding out for two damn weeks, so you better be ready for me."

Ruby lowered one hand from its tight hold around his neck and let her fingers firmly trace down his chest and without hesitation reached his hard-on over his pants and gave it a teasing squeeze, a slight moan of approval coming from her throat as she could already tell he was packing something special.

"Oh I _am_ ready...been practicing." He said, moving one of his hands to make a rather obvious "jerk-off" motion to the air as a devilishly seductive smile crossed his lips. He'd rather not talk about Regina or Hyde right now. "Now...are we gonna talk? Or are we gonna fuck?" He asked, slightly impatient as he licked his lips slowly.

His latter comment seemed to amuse Ruby and she pulled herself from him, taking his hand to walk just the few feet over to the bed in the tiny little apartment room. She let go, however, once she reached the bed and climbed on top of it, sitting up on her knees in the middle of the full-sized bed. She reached her arms up, crossing them over herself and grabbed the ends of her shirt, slowly lifting it off of her until it was pulled off over her head, leaving her in just a red lace bra. It was apparent that she had stripped for men before, and was by no means shy about it.

She kept her eyes connected with his then as she popped open her jeans button and slid down the zipper, hooking her thumbs at the waist line and slowly pulled those down immediately revealing a matching set of red boy-short underwear that clung to the tops of her ass cheeks like a second skin and then tossed the pants aside, still sitting up straight on her knees and let her hands wander around the new skin revealed to Henry; her taught stomach, firm thighs and even the top of her breasts where the bra hadn't covered her.

Henry could only look on in a mixture of shock (the good kind) and arousal as he began to undress himself, throwing his suit jacket aside, followed rather quickly by his shoes and dress shirt; leaving his slender, but toned torso revealed. Without waiting for a response of any sort, he quickly unbuckled his belt, tossing that, too, aside before working on the button and zipper. He let out a relaxed sigh as the garments fell around his ankles, leaving him in nothing but underwear that was just a _bit_ too tight, his cock sticking out like a sore thumb as he kicked his pants off his feet nonchalantly.

Ruby only let her eyes drift from his when he was practically naked in front of her, letting her eyes drink in the sight at the foot of her bed. With his cock practically free, she could get a good idea of what kind of length and girth he was sporting and found that her right hand's fingers trailed over her stomach, past her bellybutton and gave herself a few good, long rubs over the top of her underwear where she could feel was already pretty damp.

Her left hand, in the meantime grasped onto her left breast and gave it a tight squeeze, finding the nipple from over the top of the fabric and began to pinch it a few times as she kept letting her fingers rub herself over the top of her underwear for him, sustaining a faint moan from the pleasure she was giving herself.

Henry stared quietly at this display, finding himself completely enamored by the sight of Ruby masturbating in front of him. Deciding to bump things up a _little_, he stretched his underwear out slightly; just enough for his other hand to snake in and whip his cock out from its confine, slowly letting his right hand now run over it in a subtle 'pumping' motion. All the while the sound of slick flesh sliding could be heard as his member was already glistening with a fair amount of pre-cum and sweat.

Something that sounded like a lust-filled growl came from Ruby's throat as she couldn't take her eyes off of his cock, licking her lips as she felt her fingers rubbing herself harder. She raised her hand just a bit and let it fall down underneath the fabric until she found her swollen nub between her pussy lips, gave it a light brush, and then moved past to slide her finger up her slit where her finger was immediately coated in her juices.

Ruby let her back fall down into the bed, keeping her knees bent though and her legs underneath her and kept her hand down underneath her underwear where Henry could see what looked like Ruby starting to put a finger or two inside of her, confirmed by her hips bucking upwards a bit and a satisfied gasp as soon as her fingers had entered her. Her left hand had also reached underneath the fabric of her bra, though she pulled her breast out and let it sit out in the open air, her hardened nipple sticking straight up at the ceiling as her fingers continued to roll and pinch around and on it.

His cock now throbbing from the display in front of him, Henry subtly increased the speed he was pumping himself, letting his eyes linger on her perky breast with an almost hungry interest. He slowly moved closer to the bed, not stopping his own masturbatory session while doing so, stopping only when he was just at the foot of the bed.

"Mmm, that's it...keep going." He goaded in a sultry voice, his hands practically demanding to grab either her shapely breasts or her ample backside.

His words of encouragement made Ruby's hips buck up again slightly, a quiet series of moans coming out of her again as she quickened her fingering pace just a bit, limited by the fabric her hand was hiding underneath. Her left hand however reached over to free her other breast, the still clasped bra then falling to her middle where it was now just a useless piece of red fabric as her breasts were now completely free and resting perfectly on top of her chest.

She continued to knead her breasts with her left hand, her right hand pulling her two fingers out of her sweet canal to pay attention to her aching clit, the sound of her juices sloshing around as she pulled her fingers out filling the air to combine with the slick hand-on-skin sound he was contributing.

Ruby's moans sent shivers down Henry's spine, the feeling of euphoric pleasure only growing; and he hadn't even _touched_ her yet. He moved even closer, this time now turning until he was at the side of the bed; able to get a perfect full-view of what she was doing. His eyes, rather obviously landed on her left hand, causing him to let out a few small groans as he pictured her lithe hand wrapped firmly around his cock; pumping him up and down slowly..._sensually_. He let his eyes close and imagined just that, feeling his own hips move back and forth as if humping something.

More tiny, quiet moans came from Ruby, her own eyes closed as she focused on simply giving herself the pleasure she so desperately craved, listening to the increasing sounds of Henry pumping his cock just a few feet away from her. She removed her left hand from her breast and pulled out her right hand from her underwear and raised her hips up as she slid the soaked article of clothing down her thin (but toned) thighs and let them catch at her ankles which she had now splayed out on the foot of the bed rather than tucked underneath her, not even bothering to kick the underwear to the ground.

She kept her legs wide though as she returned her hand to the pink, glistening flesh of her pussy, not even having to spread her lips for Henry to see her in her glory. She rested her head back into the pillow and ran her fingers up her slit again, catching the juices that were dripping out before sliding her two fingers back into her once more with an audible gasping moan.

Unable to resist the urge anymore, Henry let his left hand move slowly towards her place on the bed, grabbing onto one of her breasts; squeezing the fleshy mound before rubbing his thumb across her pink nipple.

"Nothing would make me happier-" He began quietly, "-than if you were to suck my cock so good that I _explode_ alllll in your mouth." He said seductively, both hands still hard at work either pleasuring himself or getting a nice feel at her bosom.

Ruby was on it. In the blink of an eye her hands were pulled from both her pussy and opposite breast that Henry was giving attention to and she was suddenly back on her knees on the bed in front of him. She took her hand and put it on Henry's that was wrapped around his cock, pushing it away and used her other hand to grab behind his thigh to push him closer to the bed before letting the tip of his pre-cum coated cock slip into her mouth.

Her big brown eyes looked up at him as she then started to take things a bit slower and pushed his cock further into her mouth, half-inch by half-inch while her now free hand wrapped around the base of his shaft that had yet to slide inside of her.

"Ooh fuck yes..." Henry groaned out sultrily, his cock practically radiating with pleasure as she continued to let more and more of him into her mouth. He let both his hands move down to her hips, letting one remain there while the other trailed up to rub her tight, creamy-skinned stomach; letting his eyes flutter shut as she continued to suck him.

Once Ruby had him in her nearly halfway in her mouth, she took it upon herself to flip her body around; still keeping his cock in her mouth but now with her back on the bed and her head hanging off the edge some and then stretched her neck forward enough so that she couldn't fit an inch more into her mouth if she wanted to; a position that gave Henry all the power and all the control for fucking her throat.

"I'm gonna cum so hard in you." He promised seductively before slowly beginning to pull out of her throat and thrust back in; keeping his movements slow and gentle enough so as not to cause pain or discomfort. "Ohh, that's it...mmm" He groaned out quietly as his cock felt so wet and slick sliding in and out of her mouth. "Ooh, you've had practice doing this...haven't you?" He asked breathlessly, knowing she couldn't answer given the situation. That didn't stop him from letting his right hand feel slowly down her breasts, her belly, and then began to slowly rub up and down her pussy while she sucked him.

Ruby hummed a sort of response, the vibrations trilling down his cock. She moved her neck with his thrusts, even a bit faster, egging him to go harder and faster if he wished. It wouldn't be the first time she would have a bruised throat from sucking cock so hard, and she was determined to show Henry just how much she could take.

Moaning as she felt his fingers playing between her pussy lips, another wave of vibrations went up his cock just as she let her right hand move to cup his balls and massage them as he kept pushing himself in and out of her throat. Her breathing from her nose, despite having a mouthful of cock, was expertly even, another indication that she could take so much more.

Henry noticed her somewhat hurried movements and began to pump faster, harder; practically in heaven at the feeling he was experiencing.

"Ooooooh, shit..." He muttered, barely able to contain his pleasure. "Mmm, suck my cock hard you dirty, _dirty _girl." He added lusciously, wanting so badly to shoot his warm, white, sticky load down her throat - but he would hold off for _just_ a bit longer.

A hot breath came from her nose, tickling the underside of his cock and balls as she continued to take him into her mouth and far, far down her throat. A few times she felt as if she would gag, but experience told her to use that gagging reflex to the males advantage and swallow, forcing the muscles in the back of her throat to clamp down tightly on the head of his cock, 'milking' it for everything it was worth.

"Hnngh! Goddamit..." He swore as her throat clamped down on his head; the new wave of pleasure almost too much to bear. "I wanna...cum _so_ hard...down your throat...and fill your belly up with it." He said breathlessly, passion choosing his words for him now. As if for emphasis, he let both hands play with her stomach and nipples at the same time - returning the favor, so to speak.

Ruby moaned into his cock for assurance, egging him on, inaudibly pleading for him to shoot his load down her throat. She was ready for it, and from the tightening in his balls as her hand continued to massage them she could tell that he was too. Her throat hurt like hell, but she wasn't about to stop; not now, not until he fulfilled his promise.

In the last few moments before his ejaculation, Henry increased his speed and fervor quite substantially; the swollen, throbbing red head of his cock practically begging to release. Finally letting it happen, Henry closed his eyes and let out a _long,_ satisfied groan as web after web of his sticky seed shot down her throat en masse.

As he slowly pulled his cock out, one final burst happened, shooting cum around Ruby's mouth and on her lips before his member finally settled down enough to recuperate.

Ruby coughed and sputtered a bit as the hot load shot down her throat, unable to take much of it given her upside-down position but she swallowed what she could, leaving her in a very sticky, white mess and an even whiter smile as she grinned up at him as he pulled his cock out from her mouth.

"Well _that_ was something!" Ruby commended him in relation to the amount of cum he had produced for her.

"Dear Lord..." Was all Henry could reply as he tiredly crawled into the bed next to her. "Oh...we're not done _yet_. I just need to take a few minutes and readjust." He reassured with a small wink and pulled Ruby on top of him where he sealed their distance closed with a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

**Yeah, Henry is a bit of a whore lol. First Regina, then Hyde, and now Ruby. Poor guy, all he really wants is Faye/Heather. Anywho, short chapter I know but I didn't want this one to go on for days like the one with Regina did, unless you guys like these scenes to be longer and more detailed like Regina's then I'll probably keep the smut chapters to this length. This one will also probably be the last smut chapter in this 'book' as the more 'cannon' pairings will be saved for book 2 after the curse is broken.**


	19. Chapter 19: The Beast that Lurks There

**Author's Note:**

**Not a whole lot to say here this time,** **just some more Fayney and Shadow Wolf and Henry gets what's finally been comin to him,** **so just enjoy the chapter ya? :) **

_Darkness hindered Faye's vision until it finally crept_ _away and allowed her_ _to see. Faye_ _found herself in a large, grandiose, and yet seemingly empty, ballroom. She raised an eyebrow at her surroundings. Where was she? How did she get here? What the hell was she even doing here anyways? It was at this point that she looked at herself and saw that she was wearing a purple ball gown._

_The silence of the dance hall was broken by the sounds of footsteps on the freshly-polished wood floors; echoing off the walls in an almost ghostly manner. The steps grew louder until Henry appeared behind Faye. Though he looked like Henry, he didn't at the same time. He looked younger, more...renewed, his dark brown hair; formerly styled messily, was now left down and un-styled. Instead of his usual coat-and-suit combo, he now wore very formal, if not somewhat garish, attire consisting of a bright red frock coat over a matching frilled shirt with a black collar around his neck. _

_Though saying not a word, his warm smile seemed to defuse any wariness or caution from the situation as he gently took both her hands in his, offering a short, gentlemanly bow as a precursor. Faye_ _could feel her slight worry and state of confusion towards the situation melt_ _away when he smiled_ _and instead felt her face heat up in a blush as he held her hands in his._ _Suddenly,_ _without reason or any purpose,_ _music started playing despite the room being completely empty of any musical source. _

_Henry took the music as an initiative and wrapped his right hand around her waist, placing it just at the small of her back as his left hand stayed clasped with her right. Still silent; though not losing his grin, He_ _slowly led Faye into_ _a waltz; his movements fluid and graceful, as though he'd been dancing his entire life. The music seemed to match perfectly with his pace and rhythm as he spun her around the ballroom, letting his blue eyes lock onto hers; a look of complete enamor and affection in them. _

_Faye danced with him surprisingly_ _well, able to keep up with Henry's movements_ _despite having_ _never_ _danced before. She gazed back into his eyes with her own bright blues, feeling peaceful and enamored_ _all at once, content to stay with him like this for the rest of her days until a loud buzzing pierced through the air, destroying the disembodied music that had been playing. An_ _unseen force ripped_ _her out of Henry's gentle embrace, and pulled_ _her away. Her mouth opened wide and called out to him, though by another name..._

_"ALEXANDRE!" _

_And then...she felt as though she was falling..._

XXX

Faye crashed onto the wooden floor of her bedroom, blinking rapidly as she rubbed her temple, groaning out an annoyed, "Owwww!"

She looked around in her slightly discombobulated state and saw that she was in her bedroom, and the source of the buzzing was her alarm clock. She stood up and stopped the blaring, thinking about the dream in silence. She grumbled to herself as she got ready for work,

"What the hell was that? That was Henry...but why did I call him Alexandre...?" She shook her head, trying to shake off the dream, they never made sense anyway. "No use in thinking about that..."

Faye walked the short distance to the hospital, completely putting the dream out of her mind finding the walk had occupied more of her thoughts with other, more pleasant thoughts. Once there she got to work as she normally would after putting her lunch in a brown paper bag with her name on it in the break room.

Hours later and finally time for lunch, she made her way back to the break room, staggering only a few steps as she spotted a familiar face there. She slumped her shoulders and she asked the visitor seriously, "Shouldn't you be in the waiting area, Henry?"

The man in question looked up from the book he was reading (a copy of Alice in Wonderland) with a friendly smile on his face.

"Good morning, doctor; lovely to see you." He piped cheerily, not bothering to answer, or even acknowledge her question. "This is one of my favorite stories. I always liked the Cheshire Cat - fantastic character...I always pictured him thinner, though." Henry added absent-mindedly with a small shrug of his shoulders; while internally he was quite offended that some fool had drawn him overweight.

Faye sighed and lightly shook her head at Henry, since he didn't bother to answer. She went over to the fridge and took out her brown bagged lunch, not even bothering to notice the top had been folded differently than she had earlier that morning, and went over to the table Henry was reading at and sat down quietly next to him.

"You know you're not supposed to be in here, right?" She asked dejectedly. She didn't know why she bothered, not really. It wasn't the first time Henry broke the rules when it came to the hospital, but she went on, "After what happened, a guard may be more than willing to try and throw you out despite any resistance. Just saying,"

Henry visibly sneered. He had no fear of any guard or officer...however, he knew he wouldn't stand much of a chance in a fight without magic - only a sore reminder of how much he missed it.

"So...how's staying at Granny's these days?" Faye asked as she unwrapped her lunch sack and began to pull the items out. Fine, if he refused to have any regard for his well-being then neither would she. It was a miracle he was even talking to her, considering the slight argument they had last they spoke.

"It's well enough, I suppose. Not much goes on..." Henry answered simply, though a perceptive one could catch a hint of uneasiness to his tone - as he was _more_ than happy to keep his night with Ruby a secret. However, Faye had heard that Henry had spent an amorous night with the waitress. Dr. Whale was only too happy to relay the information that morning as she passed him on her way out from the break room. Catching his hidden tone, Faye sighed through her nose and she said to Henry,

"Well...I'm sure you're quite happy with Ruby, huh?" Why did she have to bring the topic up? She knew it would've been better to leave the topic alone!

Henry bristled, stiffening his posture until it was almost certain he'd snap in half.

"Oh?...where on earth would you get the idea that I'm with Ruby?" Henry asked; keeping his tone level. But his body language alone was more than enough of an indicator and at once Faye knew that Whale had been telling the truth; for once...

"Storybrooke's a small town, Henry. Of course news would travel fast here. Dr. Whale _did_ see the two of you head to Granny's together, with Ruby very drunk..." She shrugged, trying to keep her tone even, (but she did feel bitter for some reason she could not place). With her lunch finally splayed out in front of her she let her eyes settle upon it rather than Henry; a packed sandwich, a red apple and a bottle of water. "Well, if you two are happy together, then you have my congratulations."

"I didn't know Dr. Whale was Storybrooke's new trustworthy source of information..." Henry rebuffed, perhaps more sharply than intended. Faye knew...not only did she know, but she was now throwing it back in his face. He knew he deserved no less than such; perhaps even more, but his natural defenses were more prickly than that. "Besides...so what? Not like you had any interest in me." He added coldly, not having time to think about what he was saying before his tongue did the work for him.

Faye felt as though she had just been stabbed in the heart by a spear and then had rat poison poured onto the wound right after Henry stated so plainly that she had no interest in him. Did her attempts at helping him when no one else would mean nothing to him? Did that kiss he gave her that night that she reciprocated so eagerly mean nothing to him? It meant something to her! She clenched her teeth together, and she snapped back,

"At least I don't lead people on! At least I don't give noncommittal and meaningless affections to every single person of the opposite sex I meet!" She calmed down a bit, taking a moment to breath before stating, "Every action has a consequence, Henry. One day, all of that is going to bite you in the arse."

"I've already figured out who I am..." Henry replied coldly, bitterness mixed in his tone; though his volume remained level. "I'm not some goddamned Prince Charming to whisk you away to some pretty castle...I'm..._this_ - cynical, philandering...flawed. If you don't like it; then find someone _else!_" He hissed as he finished, eyes filled with a mixture of emotions he didn't even know he had.

Faye felt a chill up her spine but kept a glare as he snapped back at her with venom and...sorrow?

"I never asked you to be a Prince Charming! Charming is an epitome of perfection, and news flash Henry! Perfection DOESN'T exist! All I want is some god damned _honesty_! But you've been anything but until now!"

At this, Henry couldn't stifle what could only be described as a mix between a laugh and a scoff. It almost tasted of bile as it left his lips; as though he was forcing himself. He'd been lying since day one. Not just to her, but to everyone - including himself. He couldn't even remember his own name back home...his entire existence was a combination of falsehoods and mistakes.

"Honesty...is an open wound, Faye - and in short supply here...don't _pretend_ that this is some debate, because it's not. You know _nothing_ about me...and _you_ never will." He finished darkly, eyes narrowed dangerously as he spoke. And he was right...Faye would never know him for who he truly was, for the moment the Curse was broken - she'd die...leaving Heather in her place.

Faye glared at him, remaining unfazed from the dark look that Henry gave her.

"You can't evade forever. Nobody can evade forever-"

"Watch me..."

After his comment, Faye said to him bitterly and in a foreboding tone,

"You are only destroying yourself further with your evasion and 'Woe is me' act. You'll see someday."

Faye picked up the red delicious apple and she took a bite out of it, creating a loud crisp crunch, and never realizing what she had just done, until it was too late. Henry could only clench and unclench his fists at her warning, preparing to argue further until she took a bite of the apple. Henry had never taken note before - but it was..._different_: a touch _too_ red, a bit _too _shiny and smooth.

After she swallowed the bite, Faye opened her mouth to say once last thing but she could only let out a sudden choking sound. Her body convulsed slightly, as though it was trying to get rid of the poison, and she fell out of her seat with a crash, landing on the cold floor, seemingly asleep.

"Heather!" Henry cried out, aghast, before running over to where she lay, crumpled on the floor. "No, goddamn it, not you too!" He shouted, trying to check for any sign of life; anything to give him a spark of hope. "Heather, wake up...come on, wake up - I know you have it in you..._wake_..._up_!" He tried one last time, his jaw clenched so tightly that it hurt as he tried everything in his power to shake her from her sleep.

He finally grew silent, letting his hands fall aimlessly to his sides as he could do nothing to stop the poison apple from doing its work. Henry stood to his feet slowly, weakly. He only had a few minutes - maybe less, before security showed up to check on the commotion...and right now, he looked like one hell of a suspect. He frantically looked between Faye and the door, as if deciding which to pick. After a few precious moments of debilitating, Henry gave Faye one more passing look, quietly saying,

"I'm so sorry..." before leaving in a haste.

The moment he stepped foot outside, all his senses went numb; his legs turned to jelly as he could barely support himself. Leaning heavily against a tree; Henry slowly looked up to the uncaring sky above.

"Are you done yet?!" He called out, though he wasn't quite sure as to whom. A God, a wizard of some sort, maybe even some celestial animal; he had no idea - and right now, he didn't care.

"Is this amusing to you? This...this depravity - this turpitude? Just finish it, already...there's nothing else left you can take from me." He finished sullenly before slowly letting his weight down on the ground. What else had he to fight for now? He could only let his eyes shut tightly, and let the darkness wash over him...

XXX

_Henry woke up face-down in a patch of grass; the radiating light from the sun gently wrapping itself around him like a warm blanket. He felt groggy, tired; as though he had just woken up from a long and restful nap. Slowly climbing to his feet, he realized he wasn't in Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest - but in Wonderland: home. _

_The bright colors, outlandish sounds, and overgrown flora hit him with an instant sense of nostalgia and longing, as though this was just a memory; and at that moment, he knew he was in a dream. He looked down and recognized his old clothes, freshly cleaned and mended. Running a hand through his hair, he felt its locks smoothly flow between his fingers. He was himself - he was human. _

_He began walking in a random direction, not knowing or caring which way he was going for now. It felt...right. Though he could hear_ _the sounds of Wonderland's creatures around him, he saw nothing of them. Even the larger-than-life flowers which usually chit-chatted about shiftless topics were silent, simply waving lazily in the gentle breeze. _

_As he ducked through a tall patch of grass that grew far over his head, Henry saw his old mushroom house come into view. The air was a musky, earthy smell; welcoming to his senses as he remembered the months spent in this modest home. Slowly approaching the fungi, Henry was about to turn the knob of his front door when he felt a sudden urge, a compulsion to turn around. _

_Obeying, Henry turned on his heel to see, perhaps, the most welcoming sight of all since he turned back human: Alice. He felt his legs begin to move, though only through instinct instead of will; for too many thoughts ran in his head to control his movements. He stopped only when he was mere inches apart from his sister, who smiled up at him with the same, sweet smile that made any trouble or issue disappear in an instant. _

_She looked healthier than ever; her chestnut brown hair freshly washed and groomed, her skin rosy and free of blemish, her eyes so full_ _of life._

_The two of them, brother and sister could only look at each other in complete silence until a small smile seemed to tug at his lips. Insignificant at first, it only seemed to widen as Henry let the flood of emotions overtake him, suddenly pulling Alice into a tight hug._

_"You're here...I found you." Henry managed to say as fresh tears streamed down his face, his tone almost reverent. He could think of nothing else to say; though a million questions registered in his mind mere seconds before. _

_"You did find me...but I'm not the one you're looking for." Alice replied softly, pulling away from her brother before something was broken. _

_"What? Alice, what do you mean?" Henry asked, genuinely confused at his sister's cryptic tone. _

_Alice reached up slowly, cupping Henry's cheek in her delicate hand before speaking once again, _

_"You already found me, Henry...in Storybrooke." _

_"That's not you, Sweetling. Sister Charlotte doesn't remember being you...she's, a copy, an imitation." _

_"But still_ _me, Henry...underneath all the false memories and various deceptions - I'm under there, you just need to let me out." _

_"I can't, Alice...it's too late, now. Heather's dead, Snow's even farther_ _from Prince Charming...and I'm alone. How can I break the Curse if there's no one left that can help me?" He asked, despairingly; the memory of Faye's death fresh in his mind. _

_"You just have to believe..." _

_"In __**what**__?" _

_"Yourself. __**That's**_ _who you're looking for, Henry. You've lost faith in yourself, you've tried to bury the past instead of face it - and you'll never be free from that pain until you do_ _face it. Only then can you find yourself, and be the Savior you were made to be." _

_"But why me? I'm not a bloody Savior...I'm a cat...a cowardly, frightened cat." _

_"Because that's what you've told_ _yourself. To the point that you believe in nothing else." Alice continued, "You can still_ _break the Curse...you __**can**_ _save Faye, and Snow, and me...but not as the Cat, or as Alexandre Frost, or as Henry Carlyle...look inwards...find the real_ _you - Edric Liddell..."_

_Henry's breath caught in his throat as Alice said those two simple words. His name, his __**real**_ _name registering in his mind mere moments after she said it. _

_"Edric...that's...that's me..." _

_"My brother." Alice added gently, taking his hand in hers. "Now wake up, Edric...break the Curse - and don't be afraid..." _

_"I won't..." Henry began as he could see Alice fading away before him, like a fine mist. "I won't be afraid." He finished as the world around him dissipated into nothingness..._

XXX

Henry awoke with a start, eyes still damp with tears shed in sleep. He had no idea how long he was drowsing, but he didn't care. He had a job to do; a job to _finish_. And he had come too far to back down now. Rising from his spot in the grass, Henry hastily made his way across the town to the pawn-shop. In a weird turn of events, he genuinely _needed_ Rumpelstiltskin - and something in his head told him that the likewise was true as well.

XXX

There wasn't a spot of shade left in the parking lot for him to park his old Camaro. The lunch hour seemed particularly busy, and no doubt the darker tones of the car would cause it to heat up greatly in the sun. Still, it was a matter of personal importance, with no better alternatives possible. Ruby seemed to have his breakfast, early or the rare late, memorized...Knox would catch her off guard at lunch.

Stepping into the diner, most of the regulars of this time were generally confused, but it was busy and they got over the novelty of his presence. Scanning the scene, with the memory of what was usually a near empty diner at surface memory; Knox automatically spotted his usual spot. Such luck, it was unoccupied. Sitting in the near back, but the window, watching the world outside but ignoring the one he was in…so very _fucking_ like him. In his contemplation of the scene, a few people came in and filled up the booth, but he paid no mind.

Flicking his gaze to the tables closer to the front, the one unoccupied table was still being cleared and cleaned…such luck, by the one person he was looking for. Making his way to the table, almost knocking over an occupied chair in his tired stupor, Knox was not yet noticed by the girl as her back was to him; Ruby was leaning over the table to (badly) clean the table as she usually did. Knox quietly stopped another waitress to fetch a black coffee for him as the security guard unceremoniously took a seat closest to Ruby, though she didn't seem to realize who he was just yet, not likely to think he'd even come at lunch as it was rare. Not saying a word, Knox let out his usual sigh as he rubbed his tired eyes—the most exhaustion felt in years, the deepest circles under his eyes—and waited for Ruby to finally notice his presence.

The other waitress came over and set the coffee mug in front of him, but Knox could only look up and nod acknowledging at the woman, not even thinking about touching the mug. It…reminded him of a particularly disturbing dream, but he'd rather not dwell on it. Blinking, it seems Ruby was still having trouble with cleaning this particular table,

"Walk around to the other side; you can't efficiently clean up the ketchup spill by leaning on the table in such a way." His mouth was set in a firm line, but the security guard waited patiently for her response.

Ruby stopped the pointless scrubbing on the table and looked over her shoulder, an orchestra ensemble of varying emotions playing into her eyes as they landed on the disheveled Knox; confusion, anger, resentment, pity, surprise. She huffed and looked back to the stubborn stain on the table, scraping away at it with new vigor as the 'noon sleepies' escaped her. She'd have to remind Tony to cancel her order of coffee once he was done unwrapping the cheese slices.

"Shouldn't you be with your _wife_?" Ruby asked, the last word leaving her lips as though it were a bitter poison and finally succumbed to walking around to the other side of the table to attack the stain, though she refused to look back up at him.

Staring down at his mug of coffee dully, the mention of his wife made Knox feel numb.

"Maybe I should be." Picking up the mug, Knox downed it in one go, and continued to stare down at the empty mug almost angrily from there. Slowly, almost expectantly, he turned the mug around...and let out a strangely relieved sigh.

Ruby chose not to respond, instead, she attacked the stain with more anger than what was probably deemed appropriate for such a small stain; it had been wiped up long ago anyway. Once she started to wear into the wood, and realizing it, Ruby let up and blew a stream of air into her face that caught the stray strand of hair that had been bugging her and blew it out of her face.

"Granny! I'm taking my break!" She called out to the older woman.

"No you're not! You still got ten minutes!" The elderly woman called from inside the kitchens.

"Granny!" Ruby called out again, in a sort of tone that might have been code for something. That was only confirmed when Granny stuck her head through the kitchen window where the orders came out of to see Knox sitting next to Ruby. The older woman's eyes squinted, perhaps even glared at Knox before looking to her granddaughter.

Knox noticed the look Ruby's grandmother gave him, and it made his insides twists unpleasantly. It felt familiar, though he couldn't recount the last time he really gotten such a look.

"Tony! Ruby's taking her twenty! Ease up on those cheese slices!"

Ruby gave her grandmother and appreciative smile and headed to leave, probably to hide in one of the back rooms until Knox was gone as she usually did.

Knox quickly stood up and grabbed the waitress's wrist, not roughly but carefully. Though the circles of Knox's tired eyes were deep...his gaze was intense, but his voice was quiet.

"I'm sorry, I can't apologize enough for what's happened. There is no two ways about this issue; everything that's happened is my fault, with my wife and with you-"

"Knox..." Ruby said in a warning tone, indicating to him that she didn't want to talk about this. Not now, not ever...

"-yell at me, hit me, I would deserve it all...but, damn it, Ruby!" Squeezing her hand in his, he let it go and stepped away, the man didn't say anything for several moments, "Do you want me to forget about you? Tell me what you want, is leaving you alone really what you want me to do?"

Ruby pulled her hand back and let her arms cross over her chest. Her jaw remained set firmly, but her eyes gave away that this probably just as painful to hear as it was for him to say.

"I'm not mad at you!" She barked harshly, wincing as she realized maybe a bit too loudly as some of the customers turned to watch the scene. "And I'm certainly not going to hit you...even _if_ it might make me feel better..." She added with a lower tone so that only he could hear but then shook her head no. She knew hitting him would only be a temporary resolve anyway.

"What I want Knox...what I want I can't have, and it's not your fault or mine. I can't...I can't even look at you let alone talk to you, it's too painful; a painful reminder that I opened up too soon-"

"And what?" Knox interject, swallowing down the pain bitterly, he couldn't hold back some of the anger and hurt in his tone, "You think it's easy for me to come in here every morning to see if you're in, to see you like this...? No, not even see you, and know the one you don't want to see is me? You think this is better, that running away is better? And after all this, I have to return to my wife, who barely remembers me?"

"I should have known better, I should have had better instincts or at least followed the crappy ones I had. The saddest part about all of this is that I might have actually even loved you. So yes, yes Knox stay away from me, ignore me on the streets or wherever it is that we pass each other by and I promise to do the same, it _is_ better that way, at least that way I can at least pretend to be happy about it. Mary Margaret will remember you in time, just like you remembered her, and then the two of you can live happily ever after." Ruby choked on her last words, her eyes wetting but she remained strong through her final word.

"Don't...don't you DARE presume to understand how I should feel about any of this, and don't make promises that things will get better when I've only ever seen them get worse. To assume anything-" Knox practically roared out loud that first bit, the diner fell silent at the usually quiet man's outburst, though the rest of what he said seemed to trail off to a cold tone, "-when Red, _you hardly know me!_"

For a moment, Knox peered down at her dully wondering where the nickname had come from, before finally noticing the actual wetness of her near teary eyes. Anger built up in his chest, not at her, but in himself. Once again, he could only manage to hurt Ruby further, he should have just shut his damn mouth and left.

Not even thinking, Knox grabbed the nearest object and hurled it at the closest wall. As it shattered and the man came to his senses, he turned pale staring at the bone white fragments scattered by the wall. The attending waitress passing close to the wall had jumped back right before the mug made impact, and looked down at the fragments in horror, but Knox had an even greater look of horror on his face...for what reason, it wasn't apparent.

Suddenly becoming meek, practically shrinking in on himself, Knox spoke up to Ruby again,

"We're perfect strangers from here on out. Nothing will ever change it, because this is what you want." Walking up to the front counter slowly as if unsure of his feet, he pulled out his wallet and pulled out all of his paper money to place on the surface, before hurrying out of the place.

Ruby listened and watched with a quiet expression, her face ungiving to any sort of emotion or surprise by both his words and actions. It wasn't until he had left the diner completely did she feel as if she could move again. She made eye contact with Ashley, the other waitress, as she cleaned up the broken bits of mug and Ashley nodded her assurance as if to say 'I got this.' Feeling every single pair of eyes in the diner on her, Ruby hurried back behind the counter to disappear into the kitchens to finally let it all out.

XXX

The front door of the pawnshop creaked open; the little bell attached to the door signaling Henry's entrance as he stepped through the threshold.

"Rumpelstiltskin..." Henry called out as he entered, eyes alert for the old man. His sights landed on a half-empty glass of scotch on the counter - its drinker nowhere in sight.

"Oh, for Christ's sake..." Henry muttered under his breath as he made his way around the counter. The curtain opened up just as Henry reached it, however, and a very confused looking Mr. Gold practically came face to face with him, both parties having to stop abruptly from bumping into the other.

Mr. Gold tilted his head to the side, resting both hands on the top of his cane and looked at Henry quizzically.

"Henry..." He greeted civilly with a curt nod and adjusted his grip on the cane. Although the stench of alcohol radiated off of him like being sprayed by a skunk, Mr. Gold showed no other signs of drinking if but his brown eyes looking a little less bright.

"Gold..." Henry greeted in kind, tilting his head subtly to the side as he took in the (former) Dark One's state. "There's been a problem...and I _know_ Regina's behind it. Faye, she-" Henry stopped himself for a moment to let out a deep breath before speaking once again. "She took a bite from a poison apple...she's...under a Sleeping Curse, I think - maybe even dead." He finished, fresh sadness in his voice; but his expression remained neutral, if not slightly embittered.

A light snicker came from the older gentleman as he side-stepped around Henry, using his cane to support his entire right side. He was staggering a bit more than normal, but that could just as easily been passed off as a 'bad leg day' as easily as it could be his drinking.

"Oh, well, you know what they say here in this land without magic..." Mr. Gold chided as he made his way back around the counter where his drink had been abandoned and picked it up once more, tipping it towards Henry like some sort of unspoken toast with a grin pulling at his thin lips. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

"Oh, that's...that's funny." Henry replied, though his tone said the exact opposite of his words. "Bet you had time to think that one up, eh?" Henry asked cruelly, but continued to speak before Mr. Gold could answer. "How'd _she_ get a poisoned apple?" Henry asked in an almost demanding tone, obviously speaking about Regina.

Mr. Gold shrugged theatrically, letting the bitter taste of his drink linger in his mouth for a short duration before swallowing and set the empty glass back down.

"You ever think that Her Majesty had better things to do today than to give out handouts? If I were her, I'd be checking all the locks on my doors and windows today." He said as casually as if he were asked about the weather.

"You're evading..." Henry observed soberly, placing both hands in his coat pockets. "There's no way she could have magic here, it's...it's _impossible_!" Henry finished stubbornly, trying to think of some explanation for the poison apple that took Heather away from him.

"And yet, it isn't." Mr. Gold replied pointing a finger at Henry for a moment, the smirk never leaving his face since Henry had walked in. "Regina managed to bring over a handful of little items from our world to this one...as have I. Mind you, my objects are a bit...harder to come by than Regina's; she's used up everything she had left to keep you from breaking the curse anyway. And it just so happens...I _might_ have something to counteract Regina's last-stitched attempt to make you fail." His voice remained pleasant, all the while speaking though he had his back to Henry and was rummaging through a dusty old cabinet until he found another bottle of scotch, and poured himself another drink, coughing a few times as the brown liquid filled the crystal glass once again.

"I'll take all the help you can give me...things are falling apart and Regina knows it; she's cornered, making her _far_ more dangerous. I _will_ finish this - then I'll make her suffer for it." Henry promised darkly, clenching his fists instinctively, as if in emphasis.

"Oho! Get in line dearie!" Mr. Gold chuckled, swirling the contents of the glass around in his hand out of habit. "Once this curse breaks, the line for Regina's blood will take you right up to the boundaries of Storybrooke." He snickered and took another drink, letting his words sink in before starting again.

"I have a potion; hidden and out of reach from Regina's manicured claws. Before she enacted the curse, I managed to bottle up true love in it's purest form and hide it from her. If I'm right, and most times I am, it should have been brought over with the curse. There's not a lot of it, but it should do."

Henry nodded seriously, listening carefully to Mr. Gold's words as he spoke. How The Dark One was able to bottle something as 'true love' would have to remain a mystery for now, though he pushed the thought to a part of his brain to make sure to ask about later.

"Where is this potion, then? Time is of the essence..." Henry stated simply, cupping his chin in his hand.

With a wry, knowing smile, all Mr. Gold did was tap his finger on the bottle of scotch. Nothing about the bottle seemed out of place, the label was sleek and black looking with the name of the brand in elaborate cursive; a high-end looking bottle that only someone like Mr. Gold could probably afford here in Storybrooke. But taking a second look at the name printed on the bottle would tell Henry more than he would ever probably want to know...

_Jabberwocky._

Henry's eyes widened considerably as the name seemed to ring out in his head.

"The Jabberwocky? She brought that...that creature _here_?!" Henry nearly demanded in a slightly panicked tone. The Jabberwock was a fierce creature in Wonderland, enough that tales and songs of its fearsome might were spread out through the realm - and it was here.

"A sort of...trade between herself and The Queen of Hearts many years back; why do you think Mayor Mills was so keen on paving over the mines so quickly?" Mr. Gold pointed out with a flutter of his eye that could be considered a lightning-quick wink.

Still smirking, Mr. Gold finished up what was left of his drink (again) before walking back out from behind the counter, the dull thud of his cane the only sound in the shop aside from the creaking floorboards under his unbalanced weight. He didn't stop until he reached the opposite side of the shop and ran his hand over a handsome leather case about a foot in width and five feet long. He let his cane rest against the glass casing that the leather case sat on top of and unhooked the brass clasps that kept the case closed, but did not open it and instead turned to face Henry.

Henry's expression turned, perhaps, even more grim as he realized that Regina had kept the Jabberwocky in the mines all this time. Since the very beginning it had been hiding under the people's noses. Henry let his eyes divert over to the case that Mr. Gold wandered over to a finely-made leather case.

"A present?" Henry asked with a raised eyebrow, unable to keep a bit of humor from the conversation.

"You know me so well." Mr. Gold scoffed. Did Rumpelstiltskin even know the _meaning_ of present? Everything always came at a price with him, nothing ever given.

Mr. Gold stepped to the side, keeping his hand on the case and pulled the lid open to reveal what looked like a normal sword, though as the dim lighting from Mr. Gold's shop hit the steel, an almost magical type of glow seemed to resonate from it, if but for a moment.

Henry tilted his head to the side, a small, thin smile crossing his lips before forming a line once again.

"A sword? Well, that's all well and good - but I need not remind you that I _don't_ have magic...I can't fight the Jabberwocky without my magic!" He objected, though not rude or ill-mannered...instead frightened.  
>This gave Mr. Gold a reason to chuckle, letting his fingers drum the top lid of the sword case.<p>

"There are very few things I understand about Wonderland, it's a particularly annoying little world that I have little use for. So useless, in fact, I gave away the very looking glass that established a portal between our land and it..." Mr. Gold began to explain. "However, I wasn't about to let Regina keep a pet that I couldn't very well destroy on a whim, so I procured this." He said gesturing towards the sword, and as if on cue the light seemed to hit the steel just right in making it glow. "The magic it wields now is weak, but once you're down in the mines it will react to the beast. Cut it open, and bring me the potion."

Henry felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked at the blade with a newfound reverence.

"Is this...a Vorpal Blade? _The_ Vorpal Blade?" Henry asked, sounding almost astounded as he let his fingers curl around the cool silver of the hilt that seemed to intertwine around a green crystal that helped make up the grip.

"So you _are_ familiar with it. Good." Mr. Gold said as he watched Henry familiarize himself with the blade.

He lifted it up, out of the case; letting his hand get adjusted to the weight. He'd held very few weapons in his lifetime, magical ones especially.

"The song...about the Jabberwocky mentioned such a sword." Henry said solemnly, though his eyes never left the blade itself.

Finally looking back up at Mr. Gold, Henry cleared his throat before speaking. "Now comes the next part - how in hell am I going to get into the mines now that they've been sealed up?" He asked, a slight hint of concern to his voice.

A smile spread across Mr. Gold's thin lips that reached his eyes.

"Can you not think of a way?" He asked letting the lid of the case close now that it was empty before picking up his cane and heading back to his usual post behind his desk. "Anything strike you as curious here in Storybrooke? Aside from the obvious of course. Can you not think of a single location that might be treated differently than the rest of the town, a place that Regina wouldn't want just anyone to venture through?"

Henry pondered for a few moments, recalling every building in Storybrooke; internally searching for anything that would fit Mr. Gold's hints. A wide smile crossed his lips as he finally figured out the answer he was looking for.

"The clock tower!" Henry exclaimed while keeping his voice at a level volume.

"Now you're thinking." Mr. Gold commended.

"So, Regina has her own little transportation system that takes her down to the mines...question is; is it as simple as walking up and hitting the 'down' button?" Henry asked, slightly cynical, though there was a small air of confidence to his tone now that he felt somewhat more empowered with information.

"Inside you will find an elevator, it's a two-man job so I suggest you make a friend and have them go along with you."

"Very well." Henry replied curtly, looking once again at the sword he had let lean against the counter-top. "Mind if I have that case for a bit? It wouldn't be good for inconspicuousness were I to wander around Storybrooke with a sword out for all to see." Henry requested with a small smirk at his own words, imagining the look on the townsfolk's faces if they caught a glance of him with the Vorpal Blade in hand. Mr. Gold just nodded and gestured for Henry to help himself to the case.

Henry did so wordlessly, gently placing the sword back in the case with deft fingers before closing and clasping it audibly.

"I'll return with the potion when able." Henry assured Mr. Gold as he turned to leave the shop, "If I don't come back - guess I wasn't the Savior." He added with a small chuckle, masking an ample amount of fear that welled in his chest before leaving the shop, not waiting for the pawnbroker's reply.

XXX

"Gold?"

Regina shut the door to the pawnshop behind her nearly an hour after Henry had left, the little bell tinkling for the second time (the first being when it had opened) but Regina paused at the entry; confused as to why the pawnbroker wasn't standing behind the counter awaiting her arrival as usual. Her black eyebrows knitted together as she took a couple tentative steps into the shop, not bothering to look around at the various nick-knacks that she often liked to pick up and examine from time to time (if only just getting a somewhat annoyed expression from Mr. Gold himself).

"Gold!" Regina called again, heading towards the curtain that led into the back room. Over the years she had spent in Storybrooke, and through all the times she had been inside Mr. Gold's pawnshop, not once did Regina take it upon herself to go into the back room without Mr. Gold at least knowing about it, since permission was just a bit below her. Still, when she heard no answer, she pulled open the curtain and stepped into the back room, a small pulse of adrenaline flowing through her blood at the chance that the pawnbroker have only stepped outside for just a moment and caught her where she didn't belong.

That wouldn't be the case.

Regina found the owner of the pawnshop with his head down on top of an old wooden desk, resting on his right arm and turned to the side, sitting in what she could only assume was the matching chair to go with the set. The smell of alcohol reached her nose immediately, and realized that a bottle of what used to be some sort of booze had been knocked over onto the table, staining both the wood and the sleeve of Mr. Gold's dark blue dress shirt.

His suit jacket had been tossed to the floor, unwanted and forgotten, his cane leaning up against the desk just within arms reach. His hair was matted with sweat, sticking to portions of his face and neck while others tangled and splayed out in various areas. His eyes were closed, the age of his face increasing as dark shadows folded neatly into his creases giving him a very tired look, despite his being unconscious.

What Regina found most odd about the scene, however, was not the drunken, passed out, run down, pathetic heap she saw before her, but the tiny teacup held loosely in his left hand, cradled towards his face with the chip in the rim pointing outwards for Regina to see clear as day; and was able to identify it.

What Regina didn't know, however, is that Mr. Gold wasn't unconscious; just hovering between the areas of awake and dreaming. He was lost in his own thoughts, confusing reality with memories...thinking of the past and bringing them here...a happier time when a common girl gave him reason to smile, to want to be a better man, to want to change.

He could still see the way she smiled at him, the way her cheeks flushed the most brilliant shade of pink and the way her amber eyes squinted when she laughed. He could hear her voice, nagging at him in a way no one else dared to. Her eyes, so beautiful, so full of life and unafraid whenever she looked upon him as he spun at the spinning wheel and made light conversation. He could hear her singing, her voice so angelic and haunting it made the corner of his eye grow wet and made the hairs on his arms stand up on end underneath his alcohol-soaked sleeve where the bottle had tipped over. And if even for a moment, he could hear her calling out to him.

_Gold? Gold!_

He wanted to correct her, tell her that was no longer his name and that he would always be Rumpelstiltskin to her, but his lips wouldn't move, too exhausted to even try.

He could feel her hovering over him, but he knew this couldn't be true. He had watched her die, and so it _must_ have been her spirit looking over him; and it _must_ have been her spirit that he felt reaching out to gently touch his hair to soothe his aching heart, letting him know that she was there with him, always.

A quiet sneer came over Regina's face as she reached out to take the cup from Mr. Gold's grasp and looked it over.

"If only she could see you know Rumpel, I doubt she'd be impressed."

Mr. Gold's brown eyes shot open, and the first thing he saw was the teacup in the claws of Regina, The Evil Queen...the murderer. With a beastly snarl, Mr. Gold sprung up out of the chair, the movement so sudden that the wooden chair toppled over onto the floor behind him but he didn't notice as his hand had wrapped itself around Regina's lithe neck and his laid his opposite arm horizontal to her chest, pushing her up against the wall with his teeth bared and eyes afire.

"PUT IT DOWN!" He roared, pressing his arm up into her chest tighter, watching Regina's brown eyes grow wide in fright and listening to the choking sounds escaping through her closing windpipe. "**PUT IT DOWN NOW!**" He shouted once more, closing his hand even tighter around her throat.

It took all the strength Regina had to shakily raise her arm and set the teacup down on the edge of the desk, barely able to reach it from her distance pressed up against the wall.

"G-Gold..." Regina croaked, but realized that it was a waste of air as the beast refused to ease up on his hold until he saw the life starting to drain from her eyes. Only then (and with a forceful shove up into the wall) did he release Regina, accommodating the screaming pain in his right leg from putting so much weight onto it and reached for his cane as Regina slumped to the floor in a trembling heap, her hands immediately going to her throat as if that would soften the lingering pain.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Regina finally managed in between coughs, watching as the pawnbroker picked up the teacup ever so delicately with his cane-free hand to inspect it, ensuring that no damage had come to it. What Regina didn't expect, was the sudden spin of the older man with his cane raised up, meeting the handle of the cane to the side of her face with a loud _THWACK_!

"YOU KILLED HER! YOU RIPPED HER HEART OUT, AND YOU KILLED HER!"

The cane was brought back down on Regina, smacking her across her forehead and splitting her eyebrow clean open. Regina tried putting up her arms in defense, but the blows of the cane kept coming. Right, left, down, backhand, forward hand...it was impossible to predict where the cane would be striking next. Bruises immediately began forming on her cheeks, forehead, neck and arms, her eyebrow being the first to draw blood but then soon followed by her lip and nose.

"GOLD!" _THWACK_ "RUMPELSTILTSKIN! LISTEN T-" _THWACK_ **"PLEASE!"**

**Regina kept crying out to him, begging for him to stop but each time she opened her mouth to speak, the cane was brought right back down on her and her words were drowned with pain.**

**"**_She's gone! She's gone, forever! She's not coming back! And it's YOUR fault!" __**THWACK!**_ _"YOUR FAULT!" __**THWACK!**_ _"YOU BROKE OUR DEAL!" __**THWACK THWACK THWACK!**_ _"IT'S YOUR FAULT! IT'S YOUR FAULT!_"

"**STOP IT RUMPEL!**" A second female voice rang through the air, reaching the Pawnbroker's ears in an instant and immediately causing him to stagger.

The dark, inflamed eyes landed upon the beauty staying his arm and the cane clattered to the floor in surprise as he jerked his arm away as if the woman's touch carried the plague. His dry mouth hung open in a silent stupor as he took a few unsteady, shaky steps backwards, his bad leg threatening to give out on him but managed to keep himself from falling to the ground when he had backed into the desk and was able to brace his weight with a hand behind him.

The only sound aside from the miscellaneous clocks that ticked in the shop was a sudden cough and sputtering of what Mr. Gold could only assume was Regina's blood coming up her bruised throat, but he didn't even bother with looking down upon the wreckage he had brought her, his tear-filled eyes never leaving the woman who had instead stopped him, and called him by name.

"Belle?"

**Author's note:**

**YAY! BELLE IS BACK! (The next chapter will explain how that one worked out since she was kind of, you know, dead in the prologue). Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was one of the more fun ones to write. I really wanted to get in a Halloween-esque chapter in here somewhere but I really couldn't find an appropriate place, so for Book 2 I'm shooting for a Christmas chapter instead. Bug me about it in your reviews, make sure I do it :p**


	20. Chapter 20: Revelations

**Author's Note:**

**Is anyone else as shaken and cleaning up the tissues from Sunday's new episode? That's a whole 'nother side of Belle I NEVER thought I would see.**

**Anywho, the chapter must go on! Ironically enough, it's a Belle Chapter (mostly).**

A few hours earlier...

Robert had trouble falling asleep the previous night, his mind was still racing with questions. There were the usual concerns about crime and the incident in the mine, but one particular issue stood out. There was certain room underneath the hospital, one that he did not know why it was there or what was inside and anytime he asked Regina about it, she evaded him like the plague. The floorplans of the hospital didn't list it, and the security room had no camera watching it. As far as he knew, only he and Regina knew of its existence, and Regina alone knew what it held.

Eventually, he calmed down and drifted off into a fitful sleep, immediately greeted by a very vivid dream.

Robert could even feel the little details, like the weight of his clothing and the cool temperature of the room he was in. He looked around, noticing stone walls and iron bars everywhere. He stared at his hands and found that he was wearing iron gauntlets, complementing the black armor on the rest of his body. It was hard to process all of the unfamiliar sensations, but from what he could tell he was in a medieval time period.

Robert looked around the room enough to get a general impression of the area. It appeared to be some sort of dungeon; fortunately he was standing outside of the bars. A few of the cells were occupied, watched over by guards wearing the very same black armor he was garbed in. He stopped looking around when he heard a loud clattering sound coming from the hallway outside the room.

Through the shadows given off from the torches on the wall, he saw the silhouettes of two armored men dragging a seemingly limp woman into the room. They were still talking when they walked through the door, showing no regard for the female they were leading.

"She's crazy tough, I'm telling you. I've seen Her Majesty crush a person 'til they burst with the magic she hit this girl with; can't believe she survived." The second guard said.

"Magic's fancy, but there's something special about doing things the old fashioned way. Remember all the fun we had with the arms we hacked off of that peasant? You can't get that satisfaction from a spell."

Strangely, Robert didn't seem to question that these ruthless people were talking about Regina.

The guards stopped talking when they saw him, looking a little startled. The two guards immediately straightened their posture and hardened their faces, trying to appear more disciplined. After a brief but awkward period of silence, one of them spoke to him,

"Roland, Sir, everything went according to plan. The Queen wants us to bring the second prisoner to the cells immediately, Rumpelstiltskin could show up at any time."

While the guard spoke, the second guard who had been in the room opened a door in the hall and grabbed an unconscious woman dressed in rags, shoving the first woman they had been dragging along in her place and heaved the replacement over his shoulder. Robert found himself nodding involuntarily during the exchange, his muscles seemed to work without his will.

Feeling as though he was on autopilot, Robert walked into the hallway with the other guard. As he was leaving, he heard one of the men call out to him in warning,

"I know you're tough, but Rumpelstiltskin's on a whole other level. Stay safe, Roland, you've been a great captain to us all."

He didn't bother saying anything back, puzzled by how he got into to this whole situation.

At the end of the hallway, he came to a separate room full of open-faced cells, rather than the 'rooms' that the exchanged woman had come out of. It looked similar, but there were a few important differences. One of the cells had bars made from wood instead of iron, and there was a mirror positioned in the middle an empty cell. This room had more guards than the last, and they were clustered around one woman who stood in the center of the room, Regina. Her face was unmistakable, though she dressed differently than the mayor he knew, appropriate for this time period. Somehow, it didn't strike him as out of the ordinary, and he even smiled a little when he saw her.

Regina was lost in her own thoughts though, painted nails drumming against the stone wall in anticipation with an almost worried look on her face. However when he had arrived in the room with the female prisoner, the anxiety washed away and Regina hastily gestured towards the empty cell with the mirror inside of it.

"There. And quickly!" She snapped.

Robert felt himself move over to the cell and open the door while the other guard carelessly dropped the woman on the hard stone floor. He shut the door and locked it with a key hey did not know he had, but this fact did not disturb him. Afterwards, he backed away from the cell and turned to face Regina again. Regina hurried over to the cell and smiled down at the unconscious girl. She waved her hand fluidly, a stream of light purple smoke encircling the girl and when it had vanished, the woman was no longer herself, but an exact replica of the first female prisoner Robert had seen just a few moments ago.

The plan was simple; make Rumpelstiltskin believe she was the real woman...the real Belle, from what he had heard Regina refer to her as a few times. All Robert had to do now was to sit back and watch as a very sick looking Mr. Gold and Regina played a game of cat and mouse until finally, Regina had ripped out her heart and crushed it in front of the imprisoned man.

While he stood by and watched, Robert felt something strange happen. With every passing moment, he gained more understanding of the situation. Memories flowed back to him, giving him knowledge of a past that he had never known before. He knew why people called him Roland, he knew why Regina was doing this, and he knew why he had gone along with it all. It felt more real than his waking life, more vivid than anything he had remembered before. Suddenly everything made sense and meshed together, free from the fog that clouded his previous memories. While he was still lost in thought, the dream slowly faded out.

Robert woke up and saw the rays of dawn streaming through his window. He sat up in bed, still processing his dream. This one didn't fade from his memory like any normal dream, it stayed clear in his mind even when tried to focus on other things. He found that the memories from the dream were with him too, still keeping the same fidelity. They eclipsed the memories he previously knew, making them look like pale imitations.

Robert could only conclude that the dream had really happened in the past, and that his newfound memories were real. It was hard to accept that he wasn't going crazy, but he remained steadfast. They explained so many things, Regina's behavior, the mystery of Jane Doe, and even provided a hint as to what the room beneath the hospital might hold. He skipped his normal morning routine to save time, and drove to the hospital immediately. When he got there, he ran down the stairs to the secret room, unlocked the door with a code he never remembered getting from Regina, and opened it forcefully.

XXX

This place was odd to her, still a prison no doubt but not something she had been used to. The walls were stone but so clean cut and stacked high up; large rectangular shapes. There were no torches or lanterns just some sort of fixture that hummed and buzzed, a bright white light emanating from it whenever The Evil Queen entered the room, which wasn't often. There were no bars just a large, thick metal door, the smallest slit in it-

Wait…that's a lie- there were bars. There was a small window in the dark, dry room. It had bars on it and it let in a small amount of light. The room was eerily quiet.

After being locked up for so long Belle had begun speaking to herself. Just mutterings and random words, memories. She'd tell herself stories and try to remember facts from the books she had read. On rare occasions she could hear movement and noises past the heavy door. That's what she had thought this time but instead the door creaked as it swung open in anger, the sound was almost deafening as Belle covered her ears and moved away, forcing herself into the corner as she watched a man walk in. There was nothing familiar about him, she had never seen him before.

His stature was intimidating as she tried to move as far away from him as possible, fingers tightly gripping the red cloak but making sure not to rip it or damage it in any way.

Robert knew he wasn't crazy as soon as he saw her face. Robert had definitely seen this girl before, and she wasn't anyone who he could recall living in Storybrooke. He didn't know much about her, but the information he had would certainly help. She clearly looked disheveled and out of sorts, but she was not visibly injured.

"Are you Belle? I've come to get you out of here, away from Regina. I know someone who you will be safe with, and I think he'd be very happy to see you." It was awkward, but that was the best greeting he could come up with.

She nodded in response to his question, her eyes eventually meeting his.

"R—Regina?" Belle asked as she tried to calm herself down. "Where am I? What is this place?" If she could finally get answers she would damn well take advantage of it. She hadn't seen the outside world for who knows how long, although she was excited to get out and leave she was also terrified, this place was safe, almost…_home_ even.

"You're in a room underneath the hospital, one that has been kept hidden from the staff and the public for several years. Storybrooke is a small, isolated town in Maine, Regina's the Mayor, and I'm the Sherriff. I have reason to suspect that she has been violating the law by holding you here, which is why I am here to release you. If there's anything else I can help with, please let me know." She didn't seem dangerous, but Robert still wasn't sure that his plan would go smoothly.

Her eyes darted across his face as he spoke, words she didn't recognize, names that literally meant nothing to her. She just watched him and slowly stood up. She just want to go home, away from all the chaos and commotion, somewhere that she didn't have to worry, somewhere where she could occasionally smell the pink roses if she wanted to.

"I just want to go home…" She muttered and glanced at him.

Robert tried to smile, which was something he didn't do very often.

"I'll work on getting you home as soon as I can, but unless you happen to live in Storybrooke, I need to find a place for you while I sort things out. There's a man named Mr. Gold who can keep you safe, and I think he knows you." He stepped back from the doorway and motioned with his hands for her to walk outside, ready to lead her to his car and away from the hospital.

It was terrifying as she stumbled out of the carriage that seemed to drive itself. She almost fell to the pavement but she regained her balance. She shivered slightly, brown hair a mess, blue eyes looking around at the weird buildings and roadways. She wished she was back in that small, dry, dark room. It was familiar to her, it felt safe.

She could hear voices. Moving towards them she pushed a small wooden door open, a bell ringing. The room she walked into had an array of objects on display, some even seeming familiar to her. As she gazed around her attention snapped back to the sounds of grunting and beating, moving forward she entered another room as she tightly held onto the deep red cloak that draped her body, a gift from a friend. She was shocked to see two familiar faces but her eyes soon grew confused, brow's furrowed. She was used to seeing The Queen in such odd attire from the few and far in between visits, but…Rumpel…he practically looked human. He was the only constant in her mind.

XXX

Presently…

"Y-you're alive?" Mr. Gold...Rumpelstiltskin...could not fathom what his eyes were telling him he was seeing. It was Belle, and yet, it couldn't be. Her spirit had been the epitome of his sleepless nights, watching over him as he tossed and turned and cried out into the night when nightmares haunted him. She was the subject of many dreams, some good, and others that left him with tears in his eyes when he woke. He had seen her heart get ripped out in front of him and crushed into dust; a fact that finally brought his tearful brown eyes away from Belle and down to Regina who was doing her best to get herself up and off of the floor though he made no move to help her. Instead, he extended a bony finger, pointing accusingly at Regina with his somber expression gone with the blink of an eye, replaced with a menacing snarl with his eyes growing dark once again with his nostrils flared.

"What did you do?" He asked Regina slowly, setting the chipped teacup back down onto the desk delicately. Regina made no reply though as her full concentration was on her arms pulling her off of the floor with the help of the wall and desk.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Mr. Gold repeated, this time shouting and throwing all caution to the wind. He needed answers...now, before he decided to end Regina's miserable life all together.

"I could have killed her, but I didn't-" Regina replied using the back of her dress shirt sleeve to wipe the blood that ran down her split eyebrow and into her eye, letting her back rest up against the wall in attempt to catch her breath.

"No...you did much worse than that..." The Pawnbroker interjected, the word barely above a whisper, rolling over the top of his snarled lips and began heading towards Regina with a purpose; blood lust in his eyes.

"Leave her be Rumpel."

Mr. Gold stopped abruptly when his reddened gaze on Regina was quickly replaced by the impossible blue eyes he could gaze into for hours and never grow tired of.

Belle looked down at the bleeding queen and clenched her jaw before returning her gaze to Rumpelstiltskin and moved closer to him to met his eyes.

"She is a nuisance, yes, and a horrible person. But killing her would not make you any better than she is." Belle's arm rested on his shoulder as she made sure to keep his gaze. "Just leave her alone."

Rumpelstiltskin's dilated eyes focused away from Regina and onto the beauty that stood in between them, slowly softening until the blood lust left in them melted into anger, and then hurt. Her delicate hand on his shoulder sent electricity shooting through his tempering blood, bringing a fairly new type of energy to the older man that for once didn't stem from anger. It was more than just a reassuring touch to him, it was also the reality that she really was here; with him and alive..._really_ alive!

His face softened as he read the stubborn expression on Belle's face that matched her determined words. It was the first time he was able to look at Belle, _really_ look at her and he couldn't help but to think that she had looked better after spending a week locked up in his dungeon than she did now. Her hair was splayed and disheveled, dark bags hanging under her eyes from lack of sleep and poor nutrition...she looked much thinner than he remembered, probably being starved to death...but despite her current state, she had never looked more beautiful to him. He couldn't push the fact aside though, that Regina had caused this, thus stirring up the angry beast hidden within him, but he remained vigil and kept his anger at bay, instead trying to reason with Belle.

"But she tried to harm you!" He exclaimed softly, afraid that if he were to raise his voice, she would become angry with him.

"But I'm here now." She spoke softly. It was odd seeing Rumpelstiltskin this way. He seemed so normal-looking, so human causing a flicker of a smile to spread across her lips for a moment.

Rumpelstiltskin looked conflicted, his eyes darting past Belle to Regina who had made a mess of her own blood on her sleeve as a sort of compress to stop the bleeding. Their eyes met and Mr. Gold could identify the fear she so desperately tried to hide in her eyes.

"Go." He growled and pointed a finger towards the back door of his shop.

Regina's eyes flickered from Mr. Gold to Belle and then back at the pawnshop broker, perhaps with relief as she pushed herself from the wall and headed towards the exit. She supposed she should have been grateful that his little pet had intervened, but she was feeling anything but. She kept her head held high as she left the pawnshop, holding onto any bit of dignity the Mayor of Storybrooke might have left. The door closed shut, and Rumpelstiltskin and Belle were left alone.

Mr. Gold let go of a breath he didn't realize he was holding, his eyes coming away from the door and back to Belle. He set his cane aside, letting it rest up against the desk and placed both of his hands on Belle's arms gently.

"My darling Belle, you have to tell me what happened to you..."

Belle met Rumpelstiltskin's gaze, the soft smile still on her lips despite the stench of alcohol coming from his breath. Seeing him like this, as a _man_, made her happy. The last time he was even remotely close to looking human had been long ago and Belle had been practically removed from his life.

"She had me imprisoned. It was like a dungeon but different. This world…it's so odd." Belle spoke. "I lost count, I couldn't tell when the days began or when they ended." She continued. "Occasionally she would come see me. Then the man came he let me out. I couldn't recognize him, I had never seen him before. He spoke words I didn't understand. Hospital…Maine?" Belle shook her head and blinked before looking back up at Rumpelstiltskin. "He said your name was Mr. Gold." She looked at him with a confused gaze.

Mr. Gold nodded with understanding, though he tried to remain sympathetic towards Belle, he couldn't help but to feel more and more angry with Regina.

"We're in a new land Belle," He began to explain, keeping his hands light on her arms; afraid that if he let go she would disappear, and that this would all be a dream. "The Queen cast a curse on our land, ripped everyone from there and put us all here. It is a land without magic, we all have different lives, false memories...false names. As you said, I am Mr. Gold. Here, everyone refers to me as such. Here, there is no Dark One...no Rumpelstiltskin..."

He studied her face carefully, suddenly realizing that Belle had called him by name to begin with, and his concerned face turned to curiosity.

"But not you..." This gave him pause...if Belle wasn't affected by the curse, there had to be a reason for it. "Five years; five years Regina had you locked up." He shook his head, vocalizing the thoughts running through his head. Where he had been keeping Belle was beyond him, but it wouldn't be the first time Regina had a little hidden place within Storybrooke, though he only knew of the one under the clock tower.

"I can't let this stand Belle-I _won't_ let this stand!" His voice was raised, unable to quell the anger this time though not at all directed towards Belle. He had to do _something_, simply beating Regina to a bloody mass just wasn't enough; and that was simply because he thought Belle to be dead; circumstances had changed and Regina would pay the ultimate price.

"You best not be thinking about hurting her in any way Rumpel." Belle spoke as she saw a surprisingly familiar glint in his eye. "You have no reason to in this world. She can't harm you, she can't threaten your power. All you have are hateful memories, things from the past that can't be undone. You have me again, we have each other." Belle moved closer as she made sure their gazes met. "Promise me you won't hurt her Rumpel. Promise me…and we can be together!"

Confliction overcame the older gentleman's face, his eyes darting away from Belle's as for the moment he couldn't look into her bright amber orbs, afraid of what he might find there or even worse, what she might find in his own. What Regina did was inexcusable, she _would_ pay somehow, he would most certainly see to that. Belle didn't understand...how could she? She had no knowledge of Storybrooke, of what had transpired here over the last five years (and more importantly what had happened the last two weeks).

He nodded dumbly for a few moments, gathering the courage to look back into her gleaming eyes and let his hand move up from his light hold on her arm to touch the side of her face delicately with the back of his fingers.

"Oh sweetheart..." He found himself choking on his words. Whatever emotion that was going through him that caused him to do so was a mystery even to him, unable to understand this overbearing sense of protection he had for Belle that had only grown substantially since the very day she agreed to take her father's place as his prisoner. There were so many things he wish he could have done differently back then, in what felt like another lifetime; perhaps it was regret that was causing his brown eyes to well up with tears as he looked upon his beauty with such a look of adoration it was incapable of _not_ being called love.

"I promise."

He didn't realize until their lips had already met that he had taken the initiative to bend his neck down towards her and kiss her with a longing he hadn't known he had held within him, though a small pang of regret tugging at the back of his mind unsure of how welcomed the notion was.

He had initiated the kiss, and she hadn't pulled away. Belle leaned in with no complaints and kissed him with a passion that she didn't even know she held for him. It felt right, this is how it was meant to be for them.

At this point, Belle didn't care that Rumpelstiltskin had lied to her, told her that she wasn't meant to be with him, that he had sent her off and pushed her away for his selfish reasons. Now she could finally be with him and not worry about losing him again.

Rumpelstiltskin's hand let up from her face and found it resting now on the small of her back, feeling the intricate patterns of the red cloak she wore to cover herself, pulling her in closer to him as the kiss was reciprocated and the cold wall of ice he had been building up for centuries shattered, allowing her into him on a level of vulnerability he hadn't shared with a single person in the thousand years of his lifetime, kissing her in a way that no words could ever even begin to compare to relate 'I love you.'

When breath became an almost alarming matter, their lips parted but they kept their faces close, gazing into the others eyes. He watched her smile at what he was sure was a look of sheer stupor on his face and felt his chest grow warm as she nuzzled herself into him and relax. He kept his arms around her, holding her close and resting his chin on the top of her head ever so lightly, content to just hold him to her for the remainder of his days, however numbered they may be.

XXX

Robert had a feeling that rescuing Belle would lead to many more difficulties in the future, but he knew it was the right thing to do. In a way, he wanted to thank Regina for the curse, because it had erased his own bargain with Rumpelstiltskin. The past five years had been wasted, but now he could live as his own man, and feel emotions that had been kept from him for so long. Being sheriff was pretty nice too, especially because it gave him power that he could put to good use. Robert was driving back to sheriff's office while these thoughts raced through his head, knowing that soon enough he'd have to work on the paperwork involved in bringing down Regina.

When he slowed down to pull into the parking lot, he caught a glimpse of The Mayor out of the corner of his eye. She was bruised and bloody, and without pausing to think as to why, he quickly parked the car and went to her.

Regina had thought she had done a pretty good job taking an obscure route back home that wouldn't put her in the line of sight of anyone she didn't want to have see her like this, however hearing the car door slam not too far from her she looked up weakly to see Robert crossing the street towards her. She wanted to smile, though was unable to from the fatigue that washed over her and also some sort of back-burner thought that her lip would split open again if she tried. She hadn't a clue how she had made it this far from Gold's shop without passing out, let alone how she was going to get home, so she was pleased to see that out of anyone in Storybrooke to see her in her condition, it was him.

"Robert." She greeted tiredly, and although she didn't smile, her voice clearly stated that she was glad to see him.

This was going to be hard from him, but he believed everyone deserved fair treatment under the law, even Regina. The curse was still intact, and just because he had his memories didn't mean he could start being Count Roland again.

"What happened? Are you hurt badly, do you need me to get you to the hospital?"

"No, no I'm fine." Regina assured him. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention to the already pissed off beast, she didn't doubt that if his little pet wasn't there to tug on his leash there wouldn't be anything of her left. "Just a small mix-up. I wouldn't turn down an offer for a ride home though." She took a moment to raise her hand (minding which arm she raised since she didn't want to alarm Robert to her sleeve that was soaked in her own blood) and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, completely unaware that the bruises had begun to really show their brilliant color. There was one bruise in particular that stuck out (as Regina was fully unaware), a single bruise that covered her cheek that was the perfect shape matching the head of Mr. Gold's cane.

Robert recognized the shape of Regina's bruise, and his normally stoic expression turned to a horrified one. Regina had been in the absolute least convenient place on earth possible this morning, and his ideal plan was now ruined.

"Alright, I can help you over there. You sure you don't want to talk about your "mix-up"? This definitely looks like someone assaulted you."

"Oh no." Regina waved him off with a pathetic amount of effort from her hand before her legs started to shake and gave out on her, forcing her to stumble into Robert with a hiss of pain from her rib that she was sure was either badly bruised or possibly even broken. He caught her fall with plenty of time to spare and held her to him as he walked her delicately to his police cruiser.

They began the relatively short drive to Regina's home, not saying much. Without her cooperation, it would be unlikely that he could convict anyone for assault, though he doubted he'd be able to pin much on Mr. Gold as it stood. He couldn't help but to shudder as he remembered a few conversations he had with the Pawnbroker, completely unaware at the time that he was speaking with The Dark One himself. Shaking his head of the thought, he tried to make a little bit of small talk to pass the time.

"So, I get that you don't want to talk about what happened. How're things going around town, have you talked to Mr. Gold lately?"

Regina's dark eyebrows knitted in confusion at the mention of Gold, wincing slightly as even that subtle facial gesture hurt like no other. As she pulled down the visor of his cruiser to open up the mirror to check the damage done, she spoke.

"Gold? No, that Imp has other ants to step on today." She said with a bored tone, finally getting the mirror down. She wasn't sure _what_ she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. She doubted that all the makeup in the world could cover up her injuries, and she was just looking at what he had done to her face. That was when the bruise on her cheek became more apparent as she was trying to decide the best way to cover it up, and noticed the shape. She sighed dejectedly and snapped the mirror back closed and lifted the visor back up, slumping down in the passenger seat of the police car.

"Don't go after him Robert, not today." She said to him, knowing exactly where his previous question had now come from. "He'll get what's coming to him, that I promise."

Robert took that as a confirmation of his fears, but he still wasn't sure what he would do next. By now they had arrived at Regina's house, and he stopped the car. He didn't answer what Regina said, and tried to change the focus away from the Pawnbroker.

"Whatever happens, stay safe and don't neglect those wounds. A lot of weird stuff has been happening lately, I wouldn't be surprised if we had another new person running around town."

Regina was about to exit the vehicle when his very last words caught her attention. She stopped abruptly and turned her head over to look at him, trying to raise an eyebrow but stopped when she felt the scab over her split brow threatening to tear open again.

"Right..." She said, drawing the word out longer than she probably needed to. She popped open the door to the car and with a great amount of effort and hisses of pain, she got out of the cruiser and shut the door. Realizing the window was rolled down, she bent over slightly to look into the vehicle and at Robert at the wheel.

"Robert, how long have we known one another?"

Without thinking, Robert said,

"Let's see, five years here…and you came to Leopold's like ten-." He stopped himself immediately, and continued on in a much more serious tone of voice, "Brain must not be working right this morning, got you confused with someone else. Anyway, I hope you're ok, I'll always remember what you've done for me." He began to pull away, slightly disoriented by his new memories clashing with his old ones.

Regina couldn't help but to let her jaw drop at the mention of Leopold. No one here was named Leopold, _no one_. She could only watch in horror as the police cruiser rolled off, the pieces suddenly clicking together in her mind. Robert was the only other one in Storybrooke that even had a hint of an idea about the Asylum down in the basement of the hospital...and he- he had let Belle out!

Regina wasn't sure whether she wanted to scream or cry. Her entire world...everything she had worked for was crumbling apart in front of her. She could trust no one, she truly had no one anymore, and her reign of Mayor was coming to an abrupt halt, Gold would definitely see to that. There was a flickering thought of Mason, but in her mindset right now it would only be a matter of time when he betrayed her too. She wouldn't tend to her wounds like Robert had suggested, she instead retreated into her home numbly, shut and locked the door, let her back rest against it and slid down until she was sitting on the floor. Her shredded fingers went into her dark mass of hair and pulled, letting the tears finally flow in what would start the beginning of a very hard cry.

XXX

Despite storming out of the diner in a hurry, Knox has stayed on the premises for almost a quarter of an hour, sleeping in his car. Pathetic. The door was wide open, to prevent the unusual heat of the sun from cooking his old Camaro and baking him alive…at least, not perfectly. Arm resting on the dashboard, the burning sensation under it, his forehead on his arm, the sun beaming through…

_"If you can't wait for me to return, have…David walk you back to our home."_

Eyes opening, the light flooded to him and rendered him temporarily blind. Slapping the top of the warm flat surface, he remembered his sunglasses in the glove compartment. Half-blind, Knox managed to pop it open and retrieve the aforementioned eyewear, as well as his usual security guard gloves. Mary Margaret would be fine, his hospital visit to her earlier that morning reassuring him that despite the inner turmoil going on in his own mind, she would make it back safe; after all, her release was today.

With his gloves on, slamming the door shut, the heated up steering wheel wouldn't be a problem, and with his sunglasses on Knox could escape being a driving hazard. Starting his car, and making his way off the premises, he saw through his rear-view mirror that his spot was quickly filled by another diner goer. Deep down, he could only hope that other sorts of empty spots would be filled in, with no more difficulty.

Though lack of sleep made his eyelids feel that much heavier, at the very least he wasn't blinded now…Blind…there was a few other things Knox wasn't blind to, and the one on his mind was David and Mary Margaret's subtly developing interest in each other. Mary Margaret, the one he remembered so well, wasn't someone who could be coveted…no, she was a woman who was shared by all, and not in the way Ruby—

Breathing out an angry sigh, the man honestly didn't know why he'd been so stupid to leave Mary Margaret with that man? The look those to exchanged, she seemed more confused than happy with her actual husband, yet there was a special sort of shine he remembered in her eyes—and what did Knox expect? Coming all the way here to this diner during the lunch hours, that Ruby would ask him to…leave his wife?

The idea made him physically shudder…because somehow, deep down, though at this moment he tried his damned hardest to deny it…Knox was sure he would have instantly said yes. There was nothing left to do but banish those thoughts. Now, to find that wedding ring, the last object he had yet to bring to Mary Margaret, the very reason that he doubted he would be able to take her home himself. He _needed_ that ring, that _had_ to be the key to her remembering him…

At present, if would take quite a bit of time to leave town…there had been little to no report of Mary Margaret's vehicle's whereabouts, nothing of the dear woman's found anywhere. Everybody had been sitting on these mysterious facts for the past five years. Somehow, he did recall one, but his memory seemed fuzzy on what she had driven.

From the information he had been given, there had only been the Jane Doe, and not much else. In his mind, not even his mind half deprived of sleep, he was sure that the evidence of the wreck was far outside of town. It had to be! Whether he'd find her stuff in the next town over, or have to drive even further to meet a friend of hers…again, his mind was fuzzy on the memories…he had to find a way, sick of just letting things just stand like this.

Arm braced against the steering wheel; sore, the loud continuous honk of the horn. There was a sense of déjà vu, lifting his forehead. Burning pain in his arm, no sunglasses…reaching with his less painful arm, he touched along shoulder and chest, feeling the seatbelt indeed present. Lifting his head, blinking his eyes, there was a momentary blurriness to match the fuzziness of his most recent memories. There wasn't much sun peeking through the window, so putting the sunglasses out of his min—what happened to the jack rabbit hopping across the road so suddenly?

Straightening himself up properly in his seat and feeling a sharp pain shoot through his arm, Knox reached over with his good arm to open the door and kicking the door open, but not before noticing…

"Oh no, no no no…shit." Unbuckling his seat belt and scrambling out of his car, Knox could only stand wide eyed and slightly slack jawed at the sight before him. It was like something out of a movie, the front of his car crushed to a tree, plumes of smoke wafting out of the wreck. Slamming a fist onto the top of the totaled vehicle, cursing under his breath, all that was left to do was take a moment to breathe and collect himself.

Arm and head sore, the man trudged up back onto the road from the grassy area under the trees, grunting for every strenuous movement of his arm…and wasn't sure what he was expecting. Expectations, he had a lot of those in today. Pathetic. At least, there was no evidence of him clipping the animal. Relieved only slightly, he looked back to his totaled car.

Trudging back to the side of his vehicle, the smoke clearing leaving only a stale wreck, the defeated security guard didn't even have much left in him to properly check the damage of the vehicle, or his own physical being. His father suffering from some sort of degenerative disease, his wife Mary Margaret an amnesiac and quickly getting over him, Ruby refusing to speak or even see him again, his precious car was wrecked…

As Knox dropped onto the grass to sit beside the wreck that was once a fixed up old, roadworthy Camaro, the security guard patted along his pockets with his able arm to eventually pull out his cellphone. Having turned it off for the all-important confrontation he had at lunch, the plan to call a tow truck was set aside momentarily when he took note of several missed calls, and a handful of voice messages from one of the security staff. Perhaps he should have kept his walkie talkie charged and with him today, something had clearly happened during his absence. Shaking his head and opening the first voice message, Knox pressed the cellphone to his ear and felt bewildered by these series of events happening today.

And then, forgetting for that instant that it was a voice message,

"F-Faye?! What happened to Faye?" There a minute that the defeated man sat in silence, before the most absolute anguished cry of utter despair rang out through the wide area.

XXX

It took a bit, but Mr. Gold finally got his head back onto his shoulders when it came to everything that had happened to Belle. She told him everything that had happened after he had told her to leave his castle. He flinched a few times at the mention of the wedding and the tragedy that Gaston had undergone, but said nothing to the fact that he had been involved with Gaston's death, or even that he was there at the wedding to begin with. The only thing that kept his poker face from breaking entirely was that her (now late) husband was no longer around to pose a threat; to take her away from him. He really had to try hard to keep from smiling as he savored those thoughts, knowing it wouldn't look right for him to smile as she explained Gaston's death. That would all be a discussion for never. He was just happy to see that she still wore the golden rose hair pin that he had made for her (without her knowledge of course). It wouldn't do her any good here in Storybrooke, as there was no magic, but it at least eased his mind that it had gotten to her safely despite Mushu's death.

He learned about her time in the woods, and about her transformation into the beast in her very own village. He learned about a shadow man and a werewolf in a red cloak who had saved her from destroying everything, and helping her in the barn after she had changed back. He also learned of the old woman that pretended to be a relative of Gaston and gained her trust only to find out that it was Regina, and enslaved Belle to take to her tower. And then he learned about the switch Regina had made in order to really get under his skin.

That malicious bitch.

With Rumpelstiltskin brought up to speed, he realized just how much he had been keeping from Belle. His turning a man keen on avenging his kingdom into a rose and presenting her with it in his castle, his real reasoning behind forcing her to leave The Dark Castle, his jealousy at their wedding, his hand in Gaston's death, his fault that she now held the curse of the beast, his watching over her until he found a practical solution that didn't mean losing his own powers in the process of the enchanted rose and many, many other smaller things that would never be discussed if he could help it. Why should they be discussed? It would only be taking a multitude of steps backwards when they were now striving to step forward.

Instead, he in turn told her all he could about Storybrooke; about Regina's curse and how life here was a bit different. He didn't go into as much detail as Belle did when she recounted her story, as he felt that those details weren't at all necessary...and frankly not needed because in the next half hour, he estimated that things would be changing very drastically. Not to mention, he wasn't nearly as good of a storyteller as Belle was.

With the other caught up to speed, Mr. Gold planted a delicate kiss on Belle's temple after taking her hands in his, letting his thumb run over her delicate knuckles timidly.

"There's some old clothes on the rack just there." He said leading her to look where his eyes were towards the back of the room. They still hadn't moved from the back of the shop, and Mr. Gold led her over to it. "Pick out what you like, it's nothing worthy of your beauty, but it's about time you get out of those rags. We'll worry about more serious clothes shopping later, just let me know when you've finished changing."

The older man left Belle's side with obvious reluctance, and returned to his forgotten cane only remembering it now since his leg was screaming at him in white hot pain. He coughed violently into his fist as he walked through the curtain, glad at least Belle couldn't see him as he felt another shooting pain course through his back, making the pain in his protesting leg feel like a mere splinter in comparison. He groaned out, unable to hold it in and stumbled over to his desk where he feverishly grasped around the contents stored underneath the counter until he found a paper and pen. He placed the paper down onto the counter, and scribbled out a quick message, then taking the paper and folding it up into his suit jacket pocket, safe from prying eyes.

He was just about to refill his glass of scotch in a hopeless attempt to numb the pain when a second coughing fit came over him violently. He held onto the counter with both hands until his knuckles turned white, trying to keep himself from both passing out from the pain and from falling over. If the little bell in his shop had rang when the door opened, he certainly didn't hear it, but he could feel the looming presence of Sheriff Leland enter into his shop and Rumpelstiltskin was forced to look up at the man with bloodshot eyes and sweat trickling off his brow. He knew exactly why the Sheriff of Storybrooke had paid him a visit.

"Sheriff..." Mr. Gold greeted civilly, although in pain through his tightly locked teeth. He tried to keep his voice normal and calm, but it cracked immediately under the pain he was still experiencing but he still somehow managed a sideways smile before sucking in a deep, painful breath.

Robert looked at Mr. Gold and approached slowly, noticing how he looked so frail right now. His new memories gave him reason to be cautious, he did not know how much magic The Dark One still had. This was a situation where being calm and empathic was much more important than being aggressive and unyielding. He said "Are you alright sir? Do you need any help?"

Belle hastily picked out what to wear as soon as she heard Rumpelstiltskin's voice crack with obvious pain. After throwing on the jeans, shirt, and sandals, she left the back room and saw Rumpelstiltskin talking to the man who let her out of that...prison. When he fell into another coughing fit, Belle hurried to his side calling his name in concern,

The Pawnbroker didn't have a chance to reply. His body gave out on him completely, collapsing down onto the floor behind the counter and taking down a multitude of small objects on and underneath the counter in a loud commotion as he desperately tried to clutch onto something to keep him upright and proceeded with a third coughing attack as he hit the floor.

"Rumpelstiltskin?!" Within the blink of an eye, Belle was by his side and attempted to help him up off of the floor, looking to Sheriff Leland in a silent plea to help him but the Sheriff made no such movement.

Blind with pain, all Mr. Gold could do was to reach out and hold fast to Belle's arm, feeling her trying to help him back up to his feet. He complied to the best of his ability, but with a great amount of effort on both of their parts he was finally in a (somewhat) stable position. He snatched his cane back up from the floor with a pained snarl, for the first time taking note of how much of Regina's blood had remained behind on the golden handle, immediately catching the attention of the Storybrooke Sheriff. Even with his full weight back on the cane and his good leg, the Pawnbroker still looked as if he would collapse back down onto the floor at the drop of a hat. He kept one hand loosely on Belle's shoulder, more of assurance that she was still there than actual support.

"It's alright Belle, I'm fine." He lied, taking great effort to push the words out coherently however the pain he was in remained in his ragged breathing. "Now Sheriff, what-what can I…do for you?"

"I was just coming here to investigate a rumor, I was unaware of your current…situation..."

Mr. Gold couldn't help but to let out a soft chuckle at the Sheriff's formality. They both knew that wasn't why he was here. He let his hand fall from Belle's shoulder softly to grip onto the handle of his cane, somehow having both hands firmly resting on it making his seem just a tad more stable.

"No one enters my shop without wanting something, so tell me Sheriff-" He paused to cough, "-what is it that you want?"

Robert kept calm, but lost some of the compassion in his voice.

"I want to help the people of Storybrooke, if you need medical attention I will get it for you. I had reason to suspect that there was a violent incident at this store, and I would like to get to the bottom of it."

A small snort came from the pawnbroker, his dark brown eyes rolling a bit as he adjusted his grip on his cane.

"And I'll tell you the same thing I told Dr. Stevenson...best leave it alone." He said in a threatening snarl. Even if he wanted help there couldn't be anything done about it, he'd be dead the moment he reached the operating room. "However..." He paused, looking over at his side to Belle for a moment before looking back to Robert. "I suppose I should be thanking you...Count Roland..." His brown eyes never left Robert's, his expression melting from that of pain to knowing. Reading people had always come easy to Rumpelstiltskin, and from the moment that Robert walked into his shop, he knew that he remembered.

"As far as the incident with Mayor Mills goes..." He continued on, not needing Robert to elaborate on what kind of violent incident he was referring to. "...that bitch had it coming." As if to put emphasis on his words, he tossed his cane over to Robert, hearing the wood clink down on the hard floor of his shop at Robert's feet. He had to lean himself over against the counter to keep from putting any weight on his bad leg, but his knowing smirk remained as he kept his eyes on the Sheriff.

"Run all the tests you like Sheriff, but I can assure you that is her blood, and I'm sure the next time you return to Her Majesty with your tail tucked between your legs for an evening with 'wine' you'll find some very distinct markings across her body that match my cane without reasonable doubt."

Robert stooped over and picked up the cane with a gloved hand before speaking with a quiet snarl,

"I do not serve Regina, I serve the laws of this society. In due time, I will deal with her, but I am trying to deal with the most urgent matters first. If either of you would like to give your account of what happened here, now would be a good time." Mr. Gold's reaction had made it absolutely clear to him that he had been responsible for Regina's injuries, but he still hesitated to make the arrest. He did not know enough to conclude it was an assault, for all he knew it could have been done out of self-defense. It was impossible to tell, really, who was in the right between The Evil Queen and Rumpelstiltskin…

"Belle wasn't here." Mr. Gold said all too quickly. The last thing he wanted was for Belle to get dragged in through all of this, and even though things would be changing...drastically and very soon, Robert was right; there were still laws to be upheld but that didn't mean he couldn't use his knowledge as an attorney to keep her name clean.

"Regina came into my shop and tried to steal from me, and so I took back what was mine." He shrugged casually, though his tone left the implication that the situation was darker than he was letting on. He stole a glance back over at Belle, realizing then that she didn't even know why he had attacked Regina in the first place, that he had brutally attacked The Evil Queen for stealing a chipped teacup..._their_ teacup. It seemed silly now, but thirty minutes ago, Belle was still dead, and the teacup the only thing keeping her memory bound to him.

Mr. Gold didn't have to say anything more if he didn't want to, Robert had no power to force him to answer his questions.

"So, she stole from you and became violent when you tried to take it back?"

"Oh no," Mr. Gold began, the corner of his lips twisted into a sort of smile, "she had no idea what was coming."

Robert didn't like that answer, and he probed further.

"You used force to stop her from stealing? Did she fight back or attempt to run away?"

His questions caused a soft laugh to come from the Pawnbroker, his eyes lighting up a bit as he wet his lower lip as he deduced the best way to answer the Sheriff.

"You're looking for a confession...always been by the book haven't you Roland?" This gave him cause to chuckle once more. "Fair enough. I'll save you the details in light of present company, but I can provide you the surveillance tapes if you so wish." He said, letting his eyes lead Robert to look at the lone security camera hanging in the corner of the room. It hadn't been that particular security camera that would have caught the fight since that camera was in the back room, but it at least let Robert know that there was indeed footage. "I assure you though, Sheriff, you'll find exactly what it is you're looking for."

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to take you in to the station. I would appreciate it greatly if you would cooperate. If you are worried about Belle's safety, I assure you I can help protect her while we deal with this."

"Of course." Mr. Gold agreed and graced the Sheriff with a slight nod. He then turned to Belle, giving her his full attention once more and put one hand on her shoulder softly and letting the back of his other hand caress the side of her face.

Belle listened to the conversation, between Rumpelstiltskin and...Count Roland. She once opened her mouth to speak up about what happened, but Rumpelstiltskin spoke up quickly saying that she wasn't in the shop when the incident occurred. When Sheriff Leland said that he had to take Rumpelstiltskin to the station, Belle couldn't help but feel worried for him. What if Rumpelstiltskin died in that station? He's clearly in pain, why wouldn't he go to this 'hospital' if it would help him?

She snapped out of her thoughts when Rumpelstiltskin placed his hands gently on her shoulder and face. Worry for him was clear in her eyes as she looked at him.

"It's going to be alright Belle." He said softly, attempting to soothe the clear worry in her facial features. "This is just something I have to do." Oh, she didn't even know the half of it. "But there is something I need _you_ to do while I clean this mess up..." He removed his hands from her shoulder and face and opened up his suit jacket, reaching a shaky hand inside and procuring a small, folded up piece of paper.

"This..." He said showing it to her with an affirmative nod, his expression now grim and serious. "...this will help me. As I told you, this realm is different and Regina's curse has turned my own against me. You do what I've written on here, and you can save me." He handed the paper over to Belle finally.

"Once you leave my shop, look to your right. You'll see a building with a large clock. Go there, you will find a man named Henry Carlyle. He has what you'll need. It will be difficult for him to part with it, but you have to convince him that his best interest remains at the hospital. There is a woman there who he is trying to help, you _have_ to tell him that he needs to be with her. He'll understand."

Belle took the letter and nodded dumbly, feeling her throat going dry as she answered softly, "Alright. I'll do it." She came into this world completely blind, Rumpelstiltskin being her only roots, her only familiarity. All she had left was faith, faith in him that he wouldn't lead her astray, that he knew what he was doing.

A flicker of a genuine smile spread across Mr. Gold's lips, but was gone in an instant as he felt the eyes of the Sheriff boring down on the back of his head. He nodded once more, though it was more to assure himself that everything was going to be alright and pulled from Belle reluctantly.

"All yours Sheriff. If we are to do this without the restraints, then I'll kindly ask for my cane back."

"No, no need for restraints, but that cane is evidence in a crime. I will return it to you as soon as I can, but for now I must hold onto it. I could stop by a pharmacy and buy another one if you need."

A tired sigh escaped Mr. Gold's lips and the man just shook his head no. That would be going through far too much trouble for an in-and-out visit. Ideally, the only reason he was going along with this in the first place was so that he could be sure he wouldn't go after Regina with Belle no longer at his side to stop him. He needed the iron bars to contain him, at least until-

"No matter." He replied sounding a bit peeved, but went along with Robert regardless. His bad leg pained him with each step, but he was able to make it the short distance to the police cruiser without much difficulty. As he was guided to sit in the back, he looked out of the car window to Belle who had followed him outside, and nodded to her once more before the cruiser pulled out and away from Gold's Shop and to the Sheriff's station a few blocks away.

**Author's Note:**

**Yeah, a lot going on here but I think we all know that this means the curse will be breaking soon, so be prepared for longer chapters and a lot of organized chaos from here on out :)**


	21. Chapter 21: Broken

**Author's Note:**

**More organized chaos in this chapter, everyone is busy doing something lol. Thanks for the views guys! Makes me happy that so many people are reading this!**

Henry felt a certain sense of dread seem to wash over him the moment he left the pawnshop. The case that contained the famed Vorpal Sword seemed especially heavy in his right hand as he carried it, the weight almost wanting to pull him down into Oblivion.

He swallowed forcefully, trying to let as much courage as he could well up, this was his trial, it was what Alice would want him to do; or Faye, or Snow. But most especially, he'd have to do it for _himself_.

He racked his brains, thinking for someone, _anyone_ who would serve as his companion to help power the elevator.

"Mark..." Henry said under his breath. Truthfully, the fireman was the only person he could trust to help him do the job - but how would he convince him?

Deciding to figure out the necessities as he made his way to Mark's residence, Henry kept a tight hold on the case, eyes alert for anyone giving him a curious look. Eventually the fireman's house came into view; a rather small, but comfortable looking home.

_"__Much like it's owner - simple and efficient."_ Henry thought to himself with a small smile.

A 2001 Ford Ranger was parked in the driveway just outside the garage door, and Henry could spot Mark's lower half sticking out from under the truck; obviously working on something.

"Good day, Mark!" Henry greeted cheerily, approaching the truck with a warm smile on his face. The man in question rolled out from under the truck, lying atop a dolly. Black, drying oil was stuck to his hands all the way up to his elbows, and he looked slightly impatient.

"Mr. Carlyle...can I help you with something?" Mark asked as he stood up to his feet, walking back into the garage and grabbing a few paper towels to try and clean his hands up.

"Oh! Yes...I could use your help on something important I've just recently discovered. I think you'll be _especially_ interested." Henry said with a somewhat darker smile.

"Something important, you say? Come on, then, out with it." Mark ordered, putting the dirtied paper towel in his back pocket.

"The clock tower. I managed to pick up a few rumors around town that make mention of a secret elevator that Regina has in there, leads down to the mines." Henry said, completely serious.

Mark remained silent for a few moments, a frown forming on his lips.

"Henry, when you said something _important_, I assumed it was something beyond a few _rumors_ you heard." He answered bluntly, turning to go back on the dolly and under his truck.

"No, Mark, you don't understand...haven't things been feeling strange to you these last couple weeks? People acting different, unusual occurrences happening?" Henry asked, masking the anxiousness to his tone.

At this, Mark stopped completely. Come to think of it...the last two weeks _have_ been strange. All starting the day Henry showed up, then going down from there.

"Yes...things are...odd." Mark confirmed in a somewhat distant tone, trying desperately to forget his dream from last night...or was it a nightmare? All Mark knew was that this...this woman kept appearing in front of him; and the name _Nick Chopper_. But what did it all mean? Mark must have visibly reacted, because the next thing he knew, Henry interrupted his reverie with a concerned,

"Mark, are you well?"

"Yes, I'm fine...now, then; clock tower. You mentioned Mayor Mills...hiding something?" Mark asked, switching the subject quickly.

"Erm...right, yes. Remember that day at the mines? When you helped rescue Mason? Regina was _quite_ eager to seal the mines up...almost...frantically so."

"Yes…I remember." Mark replied seriously, recalling the time at Miner's Day when he had tried to ask Mason if he saw anything down in the mines. "What do you think she could be hiding down there, then?" Mark asked, skepticism still in his tone.

"That's the million dollar question. I want to find out." Henry put in simply, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Besides, I wouldn't mind seeing The Mayor squirm; especially given how she has her fangs bared towards _you_. Over her..._son_." Henry added in a suddenly serious tone, tilting his head to the side to see if Mark would offer any sort of reaction.

At this, Mark's hard expression faltered, fading away to one of almost...vulnerability.

"He's...he's not her son. Wait, yes he is...excuse me, Henry, I'm...not thinking straight." He stammered, stumbling over his own words, looking confused at himself.

_"Oh, I understand, Nick Chopper...I see you peeking out there."_ Henry thought to himself slyly.

"Oh, no trouble, Mark. Happens to everyone." He said aloud, understandably.

"Now, then...clock tower...let's see if your rumor was correct. I'll be ready in one moment." Mark said seriously before heading inside to wash himself up and get changed.

XXX

As he stood in front of the sink, Mark took a bit of extra time to rub his face with a cold rag; feeling last night's fatigue weigh heavily on him. His thoughts drifted back once again to the woman from his dreams, his...his wife?

"Who the hell am I?" Mark asked himself demandingly, looking at the man in the mirror as though he were an imposter. "Mason, Nicholas, Catherine…these names mean _nothing_ to me. So _why_ do you keep repeating them?" He seethed, unsure as to whether he was speaking to the woman, or to himself.

"I am _Mark Dufresne_ – I never married, I never had children, and I sure as hell wasn't a woodcutter. Stop telling me who I am, and leave me be." Mark hissed venomously, seeing his reflection sneer back at him with hatred. Letting out a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging; Mark finished cleaning up and put on a fresh change of clothes before going outside to join Henry once again.

"Lead the way, Mr. Carlyle." He stated simply, though his eyes looked more tired than before. Henry noticed this but said nothing, choosing to walk in the direction of the now-abandoned library that connected to the clock tower.

XXX

Henry stepped up to the front doors, jiggling the handle to confirm they were securely locked.

"It's locked..." Henry stated, turning to face Mark. "You're a fireman, can't you kick the door down?" He asked, sticking both hands in his coat pockets.

Mark was wordless at first, feeling about the door's surface with a careful hand. His mouth curved into a deeper frown as he turned to look at Henry once more.

"The door's a pull one, I'd end up breaking my foot if I tried to kick this one down." He told the younger man seriously, letting out a huff.

Henry thought deeply about a workaround, another grin forming on his face as an idea hit him.

"The window! Can't you break that?"

Mark took the idea and thought on it for a few moments before nodding curtly.

"Yeah...I could break a window. Good luck keeping _that_ quiet, though." He added gravely.

"Lunchtime's nearly over, people are going back to work...they won't notice." Henry replied confidently before adding, "I can keep lookout, though. Make sure no one comes by."

Mark nodded briskly, finding this sufficient before approaching one of the windows. It was moderately sized, coated in a fine layer of dust and grime that had been sitting for years. A few boards were haphazardly nailed across the window, most likely to prevent any break-ins from occurring. Mark couldn't help but frown deeper: he was a fireman, a civil servant, committing a break-in.

Looking about in case anyone was watching, Mark waited until he was sure no one was about to turn the corner when he began pulling at the boards that were lain over the window. The years of just sitting there weakened the wood and nails, making it easier to pull them off the frame. Mark tossed the torn-off boards indiscriminately to the ground, finally leaving nothing but the glass window to take care of.

Mark looked down at his arms for a moment, noting that his thick leather coat should be suffice to break through the glass without injuring himself. Facing the window from an angle, Mark let his left elbow jut out sharply, successfully breaching it through the glass; leaving a gaping hole before him.

Using his sleeve to remove any excess glass that didn't come off in the initial strike, Mark had little time to do more before a rather-pleased Henry returned to Mark's location, grinning almost madly.

"Fantastic, this'll do _quite_ nicely!" The young man commented cheerily, adjusting the case he still held securely in his hand.

Mark merely nodded before climbing through the hole in the wall, Henry following close behind. The ground floor of the library was _indeed_ abandoned, with a thick layer of dust and grime covering every surface imaginable.

Mark placed his (now slightly-torn) sleeve over his mouth, covering a few coughs that threatened to erupt with the dust particles in the air. Henry, on the meanwhile, wrinkled his nose in an almost cat-like fashion before suddenly sneezing; shaking his head quickly afterwards.

"Good work on the stealth." Mark commented dryly, adjusting himself to the stifling air.

"Never mind that." Henry replied curtly, eyes peeled for anything out-of-the-ordinary that Regina could have used to access the mines.

The library itself looked quite plain, with light blue walls and orange-and-white tile flooring. The room they entered was apparently some kind of reception area, as a large wooden desk was set up against one of the walls. Through an open doorway is what led to the main area of the library, where rows upon rows of metal bookshelves stood; crammed full of books and novella.

"I must say, this is an impressive collection." Mark commented, looking at the various bookshelves. Henry, on the meanwhile, didn't answer; his eyes landing on a retro-futuristic looking elevator. The frame around it was rosewood and ornate, with the actual elevator itself being made of brass or copper; rife with various gears and pulley mechanisms. On the sides were innumerable amounts of dials, buttons, and flashing lights.

"Well...I found what we're looking for." Henry stated simply, piquing Mark's attention as he walked over to the schoolteacher's location. "What the hell?" Mark asked, stupefied. The elevator was definitely outlandish, even by Henry's standards. "I think it leads down to the mines..." Henry stated, cupping his chin with the hand not holding onto the sword case.

"Well, then, let's get going." Mark stated, moving to look for a way to open the door.

"Only one of us can." Henry told the fireman bluntly.

"What? Why for?" Mark asked impatiently, narrowing his eyes habitually.

"This elevator needs one person to power it." Henry explained, motioning with one hand to the set of dials, buttons, and lights. "I'll need to go down there alone...but I promise you, what I bring back will be worth your while- I just _know_ it." Henry assured with a wide grin, earning a curt nod from Mark in understanding.

Turning one of the dials, the elevator doors suddenly slid open, revealing a cage-like interior within.

_"__How fitting..."_ Henry thought to himself before stepping in.

"Good luck." Mark issued seriously before Henry closed the doors from inside. With a loud creak and groan, the elevator began to slowly make its way down the shaft into darkness...

The elevator kept going down until finally lurching to a shaky halt in front of a long stone tunnel, lit only by overhanging lights. Henry grabbed the portcullis-like door and lifted it up, stepping out. He let out a deep breath before opening the leather case Mr. Gold had given him, pulling the Vorpal Blade out.

The sword felt especially heavy in his hand now, but Henry could feel the wavering power it still held radiating into his hand.

"Come now, Edric...this is it. You can do this. Just a silly old Jabberwock. I'm a cat: quick, agile, poised. No damned beast is going to keep me from my destiny." He assured himself quietly, now holding the sword up higher than before.

Beginning the long, slow trek through the cavernous passage, Henry felt his heart beating heavier in his chest. The tunnel led into a large, expansive cave, rife with drop-offs that seemed endless, the cracks in the ceiling beaming in _just_ enough natural light to be able to see one's own surroundings.

As Henry stepped deeper into the cave, he found a large glass coffin just in front of him; a sliver of the covering having broken off, but the entire structure remained. Henry ran his free hand over the glass with curiosity, wondering who it belonged to.

Shaking his head to focus on the task at hand, Henry backed up until he felt a wall behind him. Readjusting his focus, Henry was preparing himself for battle...until the wall started moving. A large red eye opened slowly, the pupil leering over directly at Henry dangerously before the Jabberwocky's long neck slowly lifted off the ground, revealing the creature in all its might. It let out a loud, ear-piercing screech before breathing what looked like purple lightning out of its mouth, illuminating the entire cave as a thunderous _crack_ struck the ceiling.

The Jabberwock slowly looked down at Henry, a huff of smoke puffing from its nostrils.

"**So...we meet once again.**" The creature said in a booming voice, haughty and cruel.

"We've never met before." Henry returned seriously.

"**Not ****_you_****, insignificant Bearer...my ancient enemy, the Vorpal one.**" The Jabberwocky said in a demeaning tone.

"Enough chit-chatter." Henry called up, feigning confidence as he (somehow) managed to spin the sword around in a way that looked skilled. "Shall we dance?" He added with a short bow, masking tears that stung his eyes as he realized this may be his last few moments.

The Jabberwocky said nothing, only roaring mightily once again before charging at Henry, who quickly sidestepped out of the way of its gaping maw, wrinkling his nose as he could smell the creature's breath; which reeked of sulfur and rotten corpses.

"You know-" Henry began, quickly sprinting across the cave to give as much space as he could between the creature and himself. "They wrote a lovely poem about you. I memorized it, word for word!" He exclaimed, trying to talk to keep himself from losing sanity.

"**Silence! Your evasions will save you naught!**" The Jabberwocky shouted, causing the rocks in the cave to shake at its voice. Without warning, the Jabberwocky sent another breath of lightning at Henry; who managed to duck behind a large pillar. He could feel the heat of the lightning against the pillar, and knew that a single hit would be enough to finish him off entirely. To keep himself going, Henry began to retell the poem:

"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimble in the wabe..." Dodging another lunge from the creature, Henry continued. "All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe. _Beware the Jabberwock_, my son! The jaws that..." (Another duck), "...bite! The claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the _frumious_ Bandersnatch."

"**I shall suffer you ****_no _****longer!**" The Jabberwock cried, this time using the claws on the tips of its wings to jab at Henry; who dodged and rolled with great reflex, barely missing the sharp talons. As one of the wings neared him, he swiped at it with the Vorpal blade, incurring a cry of wrath from the Jabberwock; who recoiled in pain at the blow.

"I HAVEN'T FINISHED MY POEM YET, YOU INCONSIDERATE WRETCH!" Henry cried at the top of his lungs; letting the adrenaline pump through his veins.

"He took his Vorpal sword in hand; long time the manxome foe he sought— So rested he by the Tumtum tree, and stood awhile in thought. And as, in uffish thought he stood, the Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, came whiffling through the Tulgey Wood, and burbled as it came!"

The Jabberwock, at this time, was growing increasingly impatient, for no meal had been so evasive or _irritating_ before Henry. Abruptly turning around, it swept its large tail to the side with tremendous force, colliding with Henry and sending him flying back into a rock formation; dropping the Vorpal blade in the process. Henry crumpled to the ground with the wind knocked out of him.

Henry tried to climb to his feet weakly, managing only to fall to the ground once again; wheezing most terribly as he could feel an excruciating pain in his chest from where the Jabberwock's tail hit him. Bright lights flashed before his eyes and he became lightheaded and dizzy, his field of vision turning blurry and hazy.

"One...t-two, one..." Henry stumbled again, the terrible laugh of the Jabberwock ringing out in his ears. "Two...And through, and through..."

The Jabberwock cackled almost amusedly as it watched Henry struggle to move once again.

"**Such ****_false_**** resolve. Prepare for the End, ****_Hero_****...**" The Jabberwock stated threateningly before lifting its neck up, preparing to unleash another gust of lightning from its mouth.

Henry made no motion to move, too tired and weak to even try and defend himself as he could feel himself fading away to unconsciousness. Just as his eyes were closing, he felt an impulse to open them once again; and look out in front of him.

Looking up weakly, Henry saw not the Jabberwocky, but instead a vision of those he met in Storybrooke and those from time gone past, each looking as they did in the Enchanted Forest.

_"Stand up."_ Said a deep, emotionless voice as the Steel Monger, more knows as The Tin Man, stepped out in front of Henry; woodsman's axe in hand. However, a fine mist seemed to envelop the machine, and it faded away into Nick Chopper before he had become the Steel Monger who repeated, "_Stand up, Henry."_

"_One last push, Cat._" Said Jefferson, who stepped forward next, a grim look on his face.

"_Tick-tock, dearie, tick-tock! Time's wasting…_" Came the shrill voice of Rumpelstiltskin, who held a pocket-watch in his hand.

"_I know you can do it, Alexandre."_ Heather said softly, daring an almost loving smile as she did so, moving up with the others.

"_You're the Savior, Chesh…_" Said Snow White, who appeared in front of Henry as well.

"_Stand up, Edric...for us._" Came Alice's sweet voice from the back as she stepped forth, looking Henry directly in the eyes.

"_For all of us, lad._" Came one last voice, thick with an Irish accent as a tall, burly man stepped forward, dressed in a work apron and tunic, holding a hammer in his hand.

"P-Papa?" Henry said meekly as he looked upon the Carpenter with shocked surprise, the older man's weathered face curving into a small smile as a response.

Overcome with a new feeling of willpower and resolve, Henry slowly rose to his feet; the pain in his chest seeming to subside as he lifted the Vorpal blade from the ground, holding onto the hilt tightly. The people in front of him, friends, allies, associates; all began to fade away; for their purpose had been fulfilled.

As the Jabberwocky charged its breath, Henry could see a single spot on its chest that shone a magnificent purple, resonating like a heartbeat.

"The Vorpal blade went snicker-snack… He left it dead, and with its head, he went galumphing back." Henry said quietly, his tone hoarse and cacophonic, but filled with resolve as he threw the sword with all the might he could muster.

Time seemed to slow down as the blade whirled through the air, the Jabberwock just about to deliver the killing blast when the sword plunged itself deeply into the creature's glowing chest.

Letting out an ear-splitting roar of agony, the Jabberwocky flailed violently as a bright light enveloped it fully; disintegrating it into a pile of smouldering ash, the Vorpal blade clattering aimlessly next to it.

Henry, now overcome by pain and fatigue, collapsed to the ground, unable to hold himself up anymore.

"I did it." He told himself quietly, feeling at the key around his neck as if to personally tell Alice. "I did it for everyone." He added tiredly

Lying there for what felt like hours, Henry gathered enough strength to crawl over to the still-smoking ash pile, seeing a large, egg-shaped object sitting atop the pile. Reaching for the strangely-cool object, something inside Henry told him that this _was_ it.

Rising slowly to his feet, Henry took the Vorpal sword in hand and made the long trek back to the elevator; collapsing to the ground as soon as he entered. In a half-awake voice, Henry called for Mark to begin powering the elevator once again, taking the time now to finish the poem:

_"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?  
>Come to my arms, my beamish boy…<br>O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"  
>He chortled in his joy..."<em>

XXX

It didn't take Belle long to read the instructions Rumpelstiltskin had written down for her and find the place he had mentioned. Strange to have a clock sitting atop a library, but she supposed she was only just stepping into the 'strange' of this land. She hurried inside and easily noticed that the doors were locked, so she went in through the broken window, assuming that's how Henry had gotten inside earlier.

Mark, on the meanwhile, had gotten to work turning the rather large brass dial that moved the elevator; not paying attention to his surroundings as he focused his attentions on getting Henry back up.

A resounding _clang_ signaled that the elevator had reached the top, the doors sliding away abruptly to reveal a dirtied, bruised Henry; his clothes torn and stained, his breaths short wheezes as he was suffering from what appeared to be bruised ribs.

"Henry, what the hell happened down there?" Mark demanded in a voice rife with concern, but still serious and somber.

Henry, however, didn't answer Mark as his eyes landed on Belle; who had just entered into the library through the window.

"Oh dear..." The younger man responded, slowly climbing to his feet with a visible wince; his eyes never leaving the woman.

Belle was concerned when the man, Henry Carlyle, appeared as though he had just gotten out of a fight. She swallowed thickly as she spotted the egg in his hand, the very egg Rumpelstiltskin's note had described.

"Um...Are you...Henry Carlyle?" She asked awkwardly, feeling her feet shifting underneath her uncomfortably.

"How do you know my name?" Henry practically demanded, though there was no anger or unkindness to his tone, but definite distrust and wariness.

Mark could do little but look between Henry and Belle, eyes narrowed skeptically, though he chose to let the information come to him, rather than speak out.

"Th-That's not important as of now. Listen, I need the egg, and you need to hurry to the hospital."

Henry's expression turned to a glower, his voice turning almost dark in nature.

"You expect me to hand this over and go on some wild goose chase and you won't even tell me your name? I don't think so. I went through Hell and back to get this bloody thing!"

"No, I don't. But I do want to help save the woman in the hospital that you care for." She stated matter-of-factly. If Henry was any bit as stubborn as Rumpelstiltskin, then the situation needed to be attacked head-on, no funny business. She then decided it was time to introduced herself, realizing that giving him her name may help the situation. "My name is Belle."

Henry's expression softened slightly at the mention of Faye...somehow this girl, formally introduced as Belle (a name Henry could have sworn he had heard before) knew about the Sleeping Curse...but how much did she know?

"How do you know about Hea- err, Faye? I've never seen you in Storybrooke before." Henry asked, distrust still heavy in his tone.

Belle started, deciding about why she seemed new to Storybrooke first might be a good place to start,

"The Evil Queen had me in that prison for so many years. I just got out of there-"

At this, Mark intervened,

"Wait, what? Faye's in the hospital? Henry why didn't you say anything?" The fireman demanded harshly, directed solely towards Henry.

Henry took a few moments to wheeze painfully before speaking again,

"All in the scheme of things...there are...delicate plans at work."

"Delicate plans? You're a schoolteacher for Christ's sake! What _delicate plans_ could you have besides putting star stickers on test papers?" Mark retorted, his words denoting humor, while his tone remained abrasive.

"Let me handle this, Nick!" Henry returned, his tone raising as well, staring daggers at Mark. So much was happening right now...things were changing severely.

At the mention of the name 'Nick', Mark seemed to snap. Grabbing Henry by the collar of his shirt, he harshly yanked the younger man down, forcing them both at eye-level.

"What the hell did you call me?" Mark seethed, keeping a tight hold on Henry.

"Both of you, Stop! Please! This is no time to be arguing!" Belle pleaded, finally getting her voice into the argument.

Though not looking back at her, Mark's stiff posture seemed to lighten; and he roughly pushed Henry away from him, his eyes looking heavy and tired.

"Work this out yourself, Mr. Carlyle. I'm done." He called before leaving back through the window.

Henry stumbled slightly, struggling to keep himself standing as he swallowed hard as he turned his attention back to Belle.

"Keep...keep going. Evil Queen, prison, so many years...what's next?" He goaded Belle hoarsely.

"The Sheriff...or, Count Roland...he helped me escape. He helped me find Rumpelstiltskin again. He helped me, and all he asks for in return is for our help. He told me what to do with the egg, in order to help Faye of course…" Mentioning her fear that Rumpelstiltskin could very well be dying this very moment didn't seem to be the best angle to pull at the moment, not very many people cared for The Dark One's well-being aside from her; no, she had to make this personal.

Henry's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he heard Belle out.

"Rumpelstiltskin? What on earth do you care about him for?" He asked quizzically, intrigued that someone sincerely wanted to help The Dark One.

Belle felt her worry and fear increase tenfold as time passed on. Feeling that the question was too personal, she retorted, knowing that he'll come up with the same answer,

"Well, what on earth do you care about Faye for?"

Henry felt his fists clench at Belle's retort, swallowing rage as he spoke next,

"Faye's not a murderer, a thief, a kidnapper, a liar, a cheater, or a monster...Rumpelstiltskin is." He finished on a dark note.

Belle shot Henry a cold glare, the shakiness in her voice leaving all but suddenly disappearing, stated firmly as she stepped forwards and looked Henry in the eye,

"Rumpelstiltskin is **not** a monster." She then stepped back, and she said to him, "Look, there isn't much time. Can you please trust me? Faye will be alright, so long as you're right by her side, Rumpelstiltskin promised."

"Oh...Rumpelstiltskin _promised_. How comforting..." As much as Henry wanted to simply shout curses at the girl and her devotion to the Imp, something told him that maybe, this time, he would _have_ to trust Rumpelstiltskin, and by extension, Belle. Henry sighed deeply, looking conflicted for a moment before handing the egg-shaped object over.

"Take it...return it back to your master if he needs it so." Henry said, adding a bit of mockery to his tone at the word 'master'.

Belle took the egg, ignoring his quip (she had grown used to such accusations by now).

"Thank you, Henry...Hurry to Faye...She needs you." She gave Henry a respectable nod before going off to go and find the well that was mentioned next in the letter.

XXX

It took a great amount of effort and willpower, but Regina raised her head from its bowed position as she realized that he cellphone was going off. By reflex, she pulled it out of her pocket to hit the ignore button, but hesitated when she saw that it was Mason's school calling. She quickly wiped the stain of tears from her cheeks (as if it would matter), sucked in a deep breath and answered the phone, her voice coming out lower and more tired than she had intended.

"Yes?"

"Mrs. Mills? This is Principal Merriweather, I'd like to talk to you about your son, Mason…"

Inwardly, Regina groaned. She had been getting these phone calls all week and as much as she stressed that 'now isn't a good time' before, she never meant it more than now.

"He got into another fight didn't he?" Regina asked the principal with a knowing tone.

"Uh, yes…how did-ah, never mind."

Regina couldn't help but to roll her eyes at the idiocy of the man who claimed to be the head of the school board.

"Send him home, I'll have a talk with him." She said after a long pause on the other end, clearly the principal was too frightened to suggest any course of action that needed to be taken hereafter. Mr. Merriweather made a slight noise on the other end of the line that indicated to Regina that he wasn't at all happy about doing that, but the last thing Regina was about to do was drag her ass halfway across town to go and speak with him in his office right now.

"It's the third time this week…" Mr. Merriweather began but Regina cut him off immediately.

"And if it's anything like the last two times, it wasn't his fault." The Mayor snapped coldly.

There was a brief pause, and then,

"I'm afraid your son has broken the nose of one of his classmates; August Booth. When we tried asking Mason what happened, all he said was that he deserved it, and August swears up and down he didn't do anything. Mr. Booth hasn't lied to us before, and we have no reason to believe-"

"Are you calling my son a liar, Mr. Merriweather?" Regina quickly interrupted. Somehow, she had pulled herself up from the floor in her rage and was now standing tall, looking rather imposing if she were having this conversation with the man to his face rather than on her cellphone. "Send. Him. Home." She demanded hotly, and promptly ended the call.

Immediately her back hit the door, her legs reminding her of just how weak she still was. She pocketed the cell phone and ran her fingers through her mess of black hair and down her face, albeit gently as she felt a few new bruises rising to the surface. She couldn't let Mason see her, not like this. Taking in a deep breath, Regina pushed herself away from the door and limped to the stair case. Her nimble fingers grasped down on the hard wood of the railing until her knuckles turned white, and began the painful ascent up to her room where she could get in a quick shower and do a bit of makeup magic.

XXX

"Mom?"

Regina could hear Mason calling out to her, the front door slamming shut behind him and the familiar sound of his backpack being tossed to the floor by the door. Had it been any other day, Regina would have yelled down to him to pick up his backpack and hang it up properly and even though she couldn't hear it, she knew that his shoes had been kicked off and strewn around somewhere in the middle of the living room. Today, however, wasn't a normal day and so she made no mention of it.

Regina quickly applied the remaining touches of her makeup to her neck and cheeks before throwing on her black turtleneck shirt and fluffed out her blown-dry hair. She had managed to get the majority of the blood off of her skin in the shower since it had only broken in a few places; unfortunately those places were as plain as day on her face and not somewhere she could hide like on her neck or chest. Still though, the makeup would provide an excellent cover so long as Mason didn't get too close to her.

"I'm here Mason. Give me a moment and I'll be right down." Regina called as she quickly hobbled out of her bathroom and into her bedroom to put on her heels, but she wasn't given the chance.

"Mom Mr. Merriweather is a liar! It wasn't my fault this time! August called you a…" He paused as he entered Regina's room, blushing that what he was about to say next could land him in trouble. "…a witch." He finished.

Sighing, Regina sat on the edge of her bed and instead of putting _on_ her high heels, she pretended that she was taking them _off_.

"Mason, if you're quoting someone it's okay to say the real thing." Regina said calmly.

"I did say the real thing." Mason said, blinking and Regina, in turn, blinked back.

"Oh…"

Mason shook his head and approached his mother further into her bedroom and took a seat next to his mother, throwing his arms around her waist in a sideways hug and burrowing his head into her chest. Regina immediately sucked in a pained breath and tentatively put her arms around her son, holding him to her.

"I don't like it when the kids at school talk about you, it's never anything good. They don't know you like I do, I know that what they say isn't true but I can't convince them that you wouldn't ever hurt anyone." Mason mumbled into her chest and even though Regina couldn't see his eyes, she could tell that he was crying. Regina frowned and rested her chin on the top of his mess of brown hair, staring absently at the wall in front of her as she rubbed Mason's back soothingly.

"It's alright Mason. You're going to be dealing with rotten people your whole life. The best thing you can do in those situations is stand up for yourself, or what you believe in, just as you did today." She reassured her son, feeling her chest growing warm with the love that Mason was showing her right then. Sure, standing up to a nine-year-old wasn't exactly Knight in shining armor worthy, but she couldn't have been more proud of her prince right then. He was all she had left, and suddenly, she realized, that would be enough.

She ran her fingers delicately through his hair, easing his sobs until she almost thought that he had fallen asleep like that until he turned his neck to look up at her with a shy smile.

"You're my mom, I'll always protect you."

Regina caught his chin between her fingers and radiated her smile down on him, bending forward to kiss his forehead quickly to keep him from looking upon her face.

"I must be the luckiest mother alive to have the loyalty of such a vigil knight." She said hugging his head back into her chest again.

"You are." Mason replied, and the two shared a laugh.

Mason eventually eased out of his mother's loving embrace and swung his legs back and forth as they dangled off her bed, but Regina kept her gaze away from him as she felt him studying her.

"How about pizza?" Regina asked clearing her throat and getting up and off of the bed. Her ankle nearly gave out on her immediately after standing, causing her to lurch a bit and Mason's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Mom?"

"You're right, we've had pizza twice this week, maybe Chinese?" Regina went on, continuing towards the door.

"Mom?" Mason asked again, more urgently this time as he stood up off of the bed.

"Then there's always that meatloaf we have in the freezer, I wonder if-"

"MOM!" Mason bounded from his spot and ran in front of Regina, his eyes glancing up at her accusingly as Regina refused to make eye contact with him again. He could see it now, at first he thought it was the shadows of the bedroom playing tricks on his mother's face but now he saw. Her right eyebrow was swollen and towards the corner stripe of hair missing. Her nose looked a little blue and her lip was just as swollen as her eyebrow. Knitting his brows together in concern, he took his mother's hands in his, tugging at them slightly and urging for her to look at him.

"You stood up to your bully today, didn't you?" He asked, the question causing Regina to look upon her son at long last. His eyes bore into hers intently, and she felt compelled to nod and smile sadly, feeling bad for making him look upon her with concern.

"Yes, I did Mason." She settled on, unable to really tell him the truth. She watched as her son grit his teeth beneath his lips, a flash of anger clouding his eyes for a moment.

"You shouldn't have gone alone! I should have been there with you! I could of-"

Regina held fast to Mason's shoulders, staring back at him just as intently and causing him to stop talking.

"You were where you were supposed to be, Mason." She assured him sternly. "Who knows what would have happened if you had let August run his mouth about me, it could have been chaos!"

Sometimes, Regina wondered where these motherly instincts even came from. Of course what she said sounded ridiculous the moment it came from her mouth, but it seemed to ease Mason's thoughts a little and he nodded in reply, indicating that she was right. With a somewhat dejected sigh, Regina pulled Mason back into her for a tight hug, holding onto him as if he would vanish from her any moment. She couldn't afford to think about what was in store for her once Gold had his way; what might happen to Mason. All she wanted was to cherish this moment and think that for once in her life, she had touched the heart of someone else in a positive way and changed their life for the better.

XXX

David watched with confusion as he pushed through the hospital hallway as each and every single nurse and doctor seemed to be running around like a flock of lost sheep. There was so much commotion it was impossible to stop one of the nurses to ask what was going on, or even try to listen in on one conversation so see what had the hospital all up in chaos. His heart immediately got a sinking feeling that something might have happened to Mary Margaret, and so without further hesitation he began to run, pushing through the crowd of people and not stopping until he reached her room. He was able to breathe when he saw that she was sitting up in bed looking as content as ever and not surrounded by frantic doctors. He smiled warmly, completely forgetting about the seeming emergency the hospital had gone under.

David wrapped his knuckles on door jam, alerting Mary Margaret to his presence and cleared his throat, still wearing his smile as he ventured further into her hospital room and set down the small vase of assorted wild flowers he had picked up from Game of Thorns on his way to the hospital.

"Hey."

Mary Margaret was happy to have a visitor, the hours passed very slowly when she was alone in the hospital. When she saw it was David she couldn't help but to beam a bright smile back at him, she had become quite fond of him since waking up.

"Hello David, what brings you here today?"

David took his usual spot and took a seat at the foot of her bed, turning his torso to look at her better. He removed his paper-boy cap now that he was inside, the tips of his ears slightly red giving way to the fact that it was starting to get rather chilly outside.

"Well, I might have overheard a couple doctors talking about your potential release today." David started, not realizing that his hands were wringing his poor hat in his slight nervousness. Still, it was better than wiping his sweaty palms on the thigh of his blue jeans. "I uh, wanted to be here...to uh, well, congratulate you and..." His beady eyes looked around the room quickly, noting that the security guard was nowhere to be seen. "...maybe, walk you home?"

"I'd love some help finding my way home, I doubt I'd be able to get to it without some guidance. I want to know more about Storybrooke, I can't wait to get out and experience it on my own." It was then that Mary Margaret took notice of David's nervousness, and tried adopt a calming tone of voice.

David's smile faltered a bit at the mention of home. That's right, he would be walking her to Knox's place on the edge of town. He wouldn't admit it, not openly anyway, but that rather irked him in a way he couldn't explain. He wanted to voice his opinion that if Knox were a good husband, he would be taking Mary Margaret home, but he kept his mouth clamped shut.

"Great! I'll see if I can't wrangle down a nurse and see about getting those papers signed." He said getting up from the bed and put his wrinkled hat back on before heading back out into the hallway.

David returned a short time later with an exasperated looking nurse who practically jammed the clipboard into Mary Margaret's hands, anxiously asking her to sign the release papers so she could attend to an emergency. David's brows furrowed, wanting to say something about the nurse's abrasive behavior but again, said nothing and waited for his turn to sign the papers.

Mary Margaret borrowed the pen and signed, hoping that her attempt at a signature looked like the ones from before the accident.

"I hope Knox is home, otherwise we won't be able get in to the house. I guess if that happens you can just show me around the rest of the town."

"The job I offered you down at the pet shelter still stands." David said unable to keep his teeth from clamping down a bit harshly at the mention of Knox's name. He took the clipboard from Mary Margaret once she was done and signed his own name where her husband's name _should_ have been.

The nurse snatched the clipboard away and hurried back out into the hall, leaving David with a rather scornful look on his face as he followed her out with his eyes.

"Must be quite the emergency..." He said a bit bitterly before returning his gaze back to Mary Margaret and then clapped his hands together, rubbing them a bit. "Right, let's get you out of here then, I'm sure you're anxious to see something different than white walls." He halfly joked.

"I'll see who's hiring, but I'm pretty sure I'll end up working there anyway. My resume isn't exactly up to par, I love animals, and I think it would be great to have a co-worker like you." She got out of bed, giving her legs some exercise grateful that she had changed into a new pair of clothes Knox had been kind enough to bring her a few days back to keep from having to wear the hospital gowns. She had walked around a little bit since waking up, but not enough to fully shake off the feeling that so much bed rest had given her. "I hope it's not a long walk, I'm not sure I'd be up to that."

"Well then I'd just have to carry you." David said with a light wink and held out his arm for Mary Margaret to take, allowing her all the time she needed to get stable on her legs. She grabbed his arm tenderly, and steadied herself.

"I think I can make it a short distance. Come on, let's go."

"As you wish m'lady." He said with a slight glimmer in his smile and led Mary Margaret out of the hospital, hopefully the last time she would ever have to set foot in that place.

While walking down Main Street, Mary Margaret asked suddenly, pulling out of their light conversation of the animals at the pet shelter,

"Do you ever get the feeling that something about this whole situation seems strange, like it's a dream you're about to wake up from? I talk with Knox about our past it and it all just seems so weird, I don't act anything like the way he remembers."

"All the time." David admitted with a laugh as he continued walking at Mary Margaret's slower pace. "But if I admitted that to anyone else I might find myself sitting with Dr. Hopper on a Saturday night." He chuckled before turning more serious. "Why, are you still not remembering anything?"

"I can remember what kind of person I am, the way I behave and think, but I can't recall any of my past. What I do know doesn't always mesh with what others have said, I don't connect with Knox the way his memories say that I should. My heart is moving me away from him, and bringing me closer to other people... including you."

David knew he should have felt bad for the security guard, but he didn't. Instead, a light smile played across his lips but he kept from looking at Mary Margaret and kept his eyes ahead of him.

"Have you tried, I dunno, kissing him?" He asked with a casual shrug, quelling the tinge of jealousy he felt rising in his chest.

She chuckled a little at David's bluntness.

"No, I haven't, it just never feels right to me. Knox has wanted to a couple times, but I stop him. I feel bad for him, but I always trust my own judgment over anyone else's."

"Good." David said quickly, and then immediately began to stammer after realizing his potential mistake. "I mean, good that you can trust your own judgment...a lot of people have a hard time doing that..." He covered, and kicked a stray pebble that suddenly annoyed him as they continued walking down the sidewalk.

"It's the only way to tell what is right and wrong. People will try to fool you, tell you that it's ok to compromise, tell you can't be sure about a course of action. Good people start to turn bad as soon as they let someone else convince them that there's a place between good and evil." Mary Margaret went on, holding on to David's arm just a bit tighter.

David nodded indefinitely, agreeing with each and every word Mary Margaret uttered.

"Yeah, I mean, maybe you're doing something wrong, but if it's what's meant to be - if it's what's right - does that really make you a bad person?"

"What's right is what's meant to be, and if you will never be a bad person for doing the right thing. Right now, I feel like we are meant to be here…together." Mary Margaret said with a happy tone in her voice as she looked at David's eyes.

David stopped walking, realizing quickly that she had a few paces ago and turned around to walk back to her, albeit slowly. His ears were getting red again, but it wasn't from the cold, not this time.

"If people are meant to be together, they find a way." He muttered softly, unsure what they were even talking about anymore, unsure if he was still playing the role of Knox's supportive friend, or the role that could quite potentially get him into a lot of trouble.

"That is very true." Mary Margaret agreed softly and tentatively reached out to tenderly hold David's hand.

David looked down between them at their linked hands, a very small amount of panic going through him and making his chest rise and fall a bit more rapidly than normal. His eyes looked back up to the soft features of Mary Margaret, seeming lost in her own eyes for a brief moment before he could find his words.

"Mary Margaret-"

She reached out a finger towards his lips, shushing him.

"No matter what Knox or anyone else says, I know this is right. It _feels_ too right to not be." She moved her hand away and leaned in, ready for a kiss. Auto-pilot kicked in and David met her lips halfway in a hasty eagerness. He kept hold of her hand and pressed it between the two of them over their hearts while his other hand held the small of her back into him. The moment he felt her kissing him back, David released his lips from Mary Margaret's immediately as he felt something similar to a bull taking his gut head-on. He staggered backwards a few feet, holding his head as a slew of memories quickly entered his mind. He hadn't even time to exhale before it was all over, and panting as if he had just ran a mile, he looked back to Mary Margaret...Snow White...his wife.

"Snow!"

Mary Margaret felt a rush of energy the moment their lips touched. It was powerful, like nothing she could remember before. As soon as contact ceased, she remembered the feeling. All of her memories returned to her, clearing her mind like a lantern on a foggy night. She was caught up in a wave of emotions, but for now one triumphed over the rest as he doe-like eyes looked into David's deeply.

"You found me"

David grinned broadly and approached Snow White as he had before, though took the initiative to wrap his arms around his loving wife and hold her to him, looking down at her with a glint of adoration in his eye.

"Did you ever doubt I would?" He asked but didn't give her time to answer before pulling her into another kiss; everything else could wait just a little bit longer...

XXX

Belle held the egg as she hurried, walking and sometimes jogging, towards the well that was in the forest. Nobody seemed to mind her as she headed for the forest which was a relief since she didn't have the time to stop and answer questions. She followed the directions Rumpelstiltskin's letter described, until she reached the stone wishing well. She looked at the placard which read that the waters of the well returned what was once lost. She swallowed thickly as she stared at the well and hoped that she wasn't too late. She went up the steps to the well and she mumbled,

"Alright, here goes nothing!"

Curiosity took over for a moment, and she opened the egg to see what was inside. The potion was a magenta colored liquid that seemed to shine with a strange light. She took out the potion from its cushioned confines and poured the magenta contents into the well, smiling when she could hear the echo of splashes resonating off the stone walls. She nodded and she turned to start heading back to the town knowing that there was nothing more to be done, eager to be reunited with Rumpelstiltskin once again, this time for forever, when something truly unexpected happened.

She stopped in her tracks when that familiar, heavy, and dark feeling crept into her heart. She turned and she saw large clouds of purple smoke billowing out from the well, she knew the smoke and feeling very well, exposed to nothing but that foreboding feeling during her prolonged stay at The Dark Castle as well as her very short stay at Regina's.

It was magic! But this world didn't have magic! She watched the smoke with wide eyes, unable to turn away as a thought came to her mind. Rumpelstiltskin had lied to her! He would be able to save himself with his magic, yes. But...what of the woman in the hospital? Was her life _really_ going to be saved or was he playing with her emotions again? She fell to her knees at the thought of Rumpelstiltskin betraying her trust once again, and at the guilt in taking away what Henry needed to save his true love.

Before she knew it, the clouds of purple smoke enveloped around her and the well, clouding her vision and watched with helplessness as the clouds continued engulfing the entire town of Storybrooke and even though she had done exactly what Rumpelstiltskin had asked of her, she still felt like she had made a wrong and _terrible_ decision.

**Author's Note:**

**Well it seems like it's taken forever to get to this point, but here we are. I'm estimating maybe 2 or 3 more chapters before this book comes to a close. I know, sad. Keep me updated though, let me know your thoughts I love hearing from you guys! Happy reading!**


	22. Chapter 22: I Remember

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry about not getting this chapter up on time, I've been battling an on-again-off-again migraine headache the last few days, ick. Still kind of there, but I felt bad for not getting up a chapter so I powered through this one, cuz you guys are important to me :)**

Henry hurried from the library almost the exact moment Belle did, ignoring the terrible pain in his chest. If Rumpelstiltskin and Belle were telling him the truth (and he certainly hoped that they did), then Heather would need him...and he needed her. Whatever the madness behind Mr. Gold's methods, it was that simple fact that kept his feet going underneath him, taking him towards the hospital rather than the Pawnshop he was starting to spend more and more time in as of late.

Practically rushing through the front doors of the hospital, Henry ran straight past any staff in his search, furiously looking for the room they placed Faye in. His mind ran at a hundred miles an hour, it seemed, rushing through idea after idea until it hit him: the coma patient ward! Given how the sleeping curse worked here in a land without magic, the doctors would have either put her in a coma ward...or the morgue. And now with the confirmation that it was a sleeping curse, he no longer felt the need to stay away; only he could fix this.

Shaking the thought of Heather placed haphazardly in a morgue out of his head, Henry continued his quickened pace to the coma ward; expertly dodging and weaving his way past the numerous amount of doctors, nurses, and other staff members with grace that even surprised him.

Finally finding the room after what seemed like forever, Henry hastily made his way inside, seeing the still-unconscious Heather laying in the hospital bed, strapped to various machines, keeping her alive, but asleep.

Dr. Whale and Mother Superior turned to face him as the monitor gave off a long beep, showing a flat line. Dr. Whale turned back to the monitor, sighed, then looked gravely back at Henry, his eyes hiding a guilt eating away at the doctor's heart.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Carlyle...Sh-She's gone..."

The nurses started taking the equipment off of Faye and turned off the monitors. Mother Superior remained silent, looking at the floor in attempt to keep from crying.

Henry stood still for a moment, feeling as though someone wrenched a blade in his gut.

"What? No, no, that's not right...That's not how fairy tales end..." He said quietly, his voice shaky as tears stung his eyes.

Brushing past the others in the room with little regard to their presence, Henry made his way to Faye's bedside, stroking a stray lock of hair out of her face as he could only stare at her lifeless body. She looked so serene, so peaceful, and yet…empty.

"I'm so sorry." Henry said reverently, a single tear falling from his face and onto the floor. Leaning in slowly, Henry could only whisper a simple "I love you" before gently placing his lips against hers, a last goodbye.

A ring of light shot forth from the kiss, startling Dr. Whale and Mother Superior, a shocked whisper coming from the nun hardly audible,

"Again?"

Heather gasped, taking in a deep breath of air, opening her blue eyes to look straight up at Henry. It was like waking up from a dream; a horrible dream where you're entire life was based off of nothing but lies and altercations…

"Alexandre...! Is...Is that really you?" She laid a hand on his cheek, as though to confirm that he was really there. Too lost in a sea of their own emotions, neither of them heard Mother Superior whispering to herself,

"That was true love's kiss...!"

Henry let his own hand place over Heather's, a soft, simple smile crossing his lips as he almost seemed to grow younger, looking more lively and vigorous than he ever had in Storybrooke.

"Actually...you can call me Edric." He told her softly, the loving gaze in his eyes conveying more emotion than words could at that moment.

Heather smiled at him, catching on that he remembered his real name, remembering back to The Enchanted Forest that he had forgotten it. She coughed lightly as tears of happiness and relief washed down her face.

"I'm...so glad you're okay! I thought you were done for when he sent you away!" Her blue eyes drank him in, remembering their time spent together before the curse, and then their time spent together here in Storybrooke; two lives being led by the same heart. It was then that she was able to register that Henry wasn't looking nearly as dapper as he usually was; in fact, he looked like he had recently been dragged across a rose bush and then left in a bull pen for a few straight hours. "What happened?"

Dr. Whale quietly tapped Mother Superior on the shoulder, and the two made their leave. Henry – Edric, couldn't help but chuckle slightly at her words, neither of them noticing that they were well and truly alone now.

"Jabberwocky. It was kept under the mines...I had to kill it, to save you." He said quietly, awaiting any scolding or lecturing on how he could have been killed. Heather was silent, noting how he still had his smile when he spoke seriously. The Jabberwocky...she had heard of the poem by the same name (courtesy of Edric), but she didn't try to scold him. He had saved her after all. No...instead she felt guilt. It was because of her carelessness once again, that she placed someone she cared for in danger.

"I'm so sorry..." She mumbled out quietly.

"Sorry? What on earth are you sorry for, Heather?" Henry asked with a small chuckle, though he was genuinely confused by her words.

Heather answered, trying to stop the tears from falling,

"My carelessness. It got the better of me again. If I hadn't eaten that apple, you wouldn't have had to fight the Jabberwocky...I placed you in danger. That apple...was the experimental concoction all over again...! I should've known not to eat it! I knew someone had been in my bag but I was too upset to do anything about it."

Henry's expression suddenly turned to one of seriousness, and caring.

"No, Heather, don't say that...you didn't know any better. You didn't even know that you were you!" He reassured, pushing a lock of hair out of her face once again, a small smile creeping on his face as his victory was almost too much to handle.

The amount of Heather's tears seemed to increase at Edric's words. She shook her head and simply stated to him,

"_She_ knew. She knew all along. She could've stopped me!" Now that she had her memories back, it was hard to not remember everything that Hyde had done during their time in Storybrooke.

"Heather...I'm not angry or upset at you _or_ Hyde...I'm just glad you're back, the _real_ you." With that said, Edric leaned in and kissed her again; not waiting for a response beforehand.

Heather blinked away the tears and opened her mouth to speak once more. However, she stopped when she thought she heard thunder, and she looked out of the window, seeing a large purple cloud coming towards them.

"Edric...what is that?" Faye asked wearily, finding her feet moving and getting her up and out of the hospital bed.

Edric looked confused at first, his expression darkening as he got a good look out the window.

"It's...it's magic." He said quietly, eyes widened like saucers as the dense fog neared Storybrooke. He could feel something inside him begin to tingle as the fog came closer - a feeling he hadn't experienced in what felt like forever. "I can...feel it. Raw, pure magic!" He exclaimed vibrantly.

Heather looked to him in concern. The fact that it was magic didn't sit well with Heather, but there was little she could do with what knowledge she _did _have of magic. She instead held onto Edric's hand instinctively, as though the smoke may try to separate them again. It was the same shade and color of the smoke Rumpelstiltskin had used to send Alexandre away from his castle back what felt like an entire lifetime ago. This time, wherever it would take them, or whatever it would do to them, she would go through it with him.

Edric stared intently out the window, but squeezed Heather's hand to let her know he hadn't forgotten her. "Don't be frightened." He said, finally turning his head back to look at her, a small glint in his eyes that bode excitement, as though his sanity was the only thing keeping him from diving out of the window and embracing the magic with all his being.

Despite Edric's words, she remained feeling uneasy. The reason being because she knew who would benefit from magic the most in this world. She easily figured out that Mr. Gold was Rumpelstiltskin since she hadn't really met anyone else back from The Enchanted Forest, but she had seen what he was capable of; and that sort of magic had no place in a land like this. And yet, the purple haze only drew closer still.

"Heather...look at me. Don't look anywhere else. Close your eyes if you have to...but it's here - now. Are you ready?" Edric asked seriously, now holding both her hands in his own.

She looked to Henry and nodded. No she wasn't ready, but she had to be brave; meet this head on and follow the consequences that were sure to come. She found her arms wrapping around Edric tightly, burying her head into the crook of his neck with her eyes shut tightly, trying to concentrate on breathing in his scent instead.

Edric only leaned his head back, his eyes fluttering closed as the purple smoke seemed to permeate past any solid surface and enclose around them. He felt all the magic hit him at once, overwhelming all his senses as he found himself unable to see, hear, think, or even breathe. All he could feel were Heather's body firmly pressed to his as the cloud passed through them, bright flashes of lightning and the crack of thunder all around them.

Heather's senses were also overwhelmed when the purple smoke hit. She didn't move as the thunder resounded and echoed around them, keeping her arms around Edric for what could be considered as reassurance, but more than that, not wanting to be apart from him again. She had expected to feel at least a little pain and her heart to stop beating; for Hyde to take over in this adrenaline-pumping scenario as what normally happened...but the pain never came.

Instead, the smoke soon passed and the two of them were still in one piece.

Edric let out a deep sigh as the smoke finally passed them by. Releasing his light grip around Heather's waist and stepped back a few paces after she had let go of him in return. He looked down at his hands with sudden interest, clenching and unclenching his fists to see what would happen. Edric felt a smile begin at the corner of his lips.

"Oh, it's good to be back." He said cryptically, an excited, almost wild look in his eyes.

The foreboding feeling weighed on her heart even more now that she saw the wild look in his eyes. Heather mumbled to herself ominously, looking down towards the floor and at her hands, in response to Edric's cryptic statement,

"...Is it really?"

Edric chose not to answer that question, too caught up in the idea that he _finally_ had his powers back. With newfound vigor and energy, Henry grabbed Heather's hand and practically dragged her out of the hospital, taking her along with him to the clock tower; where the very confused and discombobulated townspeople had begun to congregate.

XXX

Mark Dufresne slowly walked down the half-empty streets of Storybrooke, hands jammed in his coat pockets as a million thoughts were rushing through his mind. He felt his anger boil once again at Henry, anger that the young man would _dare_ call him by the same name that had been haunting him for nights on end now.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Mark stopped to rub his hands down his face, feeling his shoulder start to flare up worse than usual, most likely caused by his restless sleep coupled with stress.

Reaching inside his coat to grab his pill bottle, Mark let a quiet curse escape his lips as he realized he left them at home in haste to follow Henry to the library. Letting out a deep breath, Mark put a hold on his anger and hastily adjusted his pace to make his way back home. Maybe it was just a reminder he needed some time to relax for a bit; what with all that's been going on, he had little time to himself anymore.

Accompanied only by the sounds of his own breathing, and his heavy shoes on the sidewalk, Mark's house had just come into view when suddenly, an unseen force, wielding the strength of a freight train seemed to crash into him, sending him forcefully to the ground.

Ignoring the searing pain that came from his skinned hands, Mark was about to see who, or what had hit him when a flood of memories all began hitting him at once. Voices began to fill his mind, overlapping each other in a sea of muddled confusion as visions; memories began replaying themselves in front of him. And he knew them...

XXX

_Mark saw himself, dressed in work clothes and holding a woodcutters axe in hand, holding his hand out to shake another's, a friendly smile crossing his bearded face as he introduced himself, "Name's Nick Chopper, it's a pleasure to meet you."_

_*~*_

_He saw the woman from his dreams, his wife, Catherine walk up to him, a fond look in her eyes as she caressed his cheek with one hand, the other placed on a rather obvious bump on her stomach. _

_"Just a few more months..." She said to him, her voice ghostly in effect._

_*~*_

_Time seemed to jump past in front of him, as next he was standing inside his small cottage, looking over his wife who was practically drenched in sweat, a heavy tiredness in her eyes as an unseen man placed something swaddled in blankets into her arms while saying, _

_"It's a boy..."_

_"A boy..." Mark saw himself say, hushed veneration in his tone as a wide smile broke out on his lips as he looked down at his son, his boy._

_"Oh, Nicholas...what are we going to name him?" Catherine asked quietly, looking up at her husband with a soft expression._

_Mark saw his expression become curious for a few moments, as if thinking the decision over before answering, _

_"How about Mason...?"_

_*~*_

_The scene rapidly switched on him again, the images turning into a blur before landing a few years later, with Mark seeing himself put on a flat cap in preparation for a journey; slinging his axe on his back._

_"Papa! Papa!" A young voice called out to Nick Chopper as he turned around to find the source, a short lad, no older than five running up to him. _

_"Mason! I thought I told you to stay with your mother?" Nick reprimanded seriously, though his eyes remained warm and kind._

_"I want to go with you..." The boy objected quietly, hugging a homely stuffed dog toy to his chest tightly, as if fearful it might run off._

_"Ohhh, I see..." Nick Chopper responded, crouching down so he was at eye-level with his son. "You know you can't come with me, Son...you're just not old enough, yet. And I need you here to take care of your mama for me. Do you think you can do that?" He asked patiently, taking time to brush some hair away from the boy's face._

_Mason nodded soberly, furiously scrubbing away tears that threatened to stream down his cheeks. _

_"Good. I love you, boy." Nick said as a farewell, kissing Mason on the forehead before rising once again, following a small crew of three others into the woods._

_*~*_

_The scene jumped once more, now taking place a year or two later, the entire population of the village was gathered outside as an intimidating, green-skinned woman walked amongst the villagers; who flinched back in fear at her presence._

_"I am in need of a new servant! And one of you diseased cretins will have to do." The woman said cruelly, looking in-between all who had gathered with a sharp eye. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe..." She said quietly, under her breath, though loud enough for those in the crowd to hear._

_Finally, she shot a hand out, pointing at a single member of the group. _

_"I want her, bring her to me." The woman called impatiently as Catherine stepped forward, a truly frightened look in her eyes as she kept her head held downwards._

_"Yes, you'll do __perfectly__." The green-skinned woman said in a voice that was almost cheery._

_"Stay away from her." A voice called out warningly as Nick, himself pushed through the crowd, an angered look in his eyes._

_The woman couldn't help but laugh haughtily, pointing to herself mockingly as if to add emphasis to his outrageous statement. _

_"What? You mean me?" She asked, tauntingly. "I don't think so." She added on, her tone becoming more serious now._

_Nick, with sudden haste, grabbed his axe and charged at the woman, holding it up to strike. The woman merely smirked as a wave of her hand was enough to freeze Nick in place with magic, an obscure, unnoticeable glow radiating off his axe blade for just a split-second._

_"My, my, quite pesky. You know, this could have been very easy...but you had to go and make things complicated." The woman lectured in an almost singsong voice, her eyes kept peeled on Nick. "But don't let me tell you how badly you've erred...let your loved one do it for you." The woman added before promptly plunging her hand into Catherine's chest, a dark grin forming on her lips as she knew that there was absolutely nothing Nick could do but watch the torment._

_Catherine made a pained groaning sound as the Witch pulled her heart out of her chest, holding it in her hand like one would a delicate artifact before giving it a sharp squeeze, causing the young woman to fall on her knees in pain; tears streaming down her face. _

_"Please..." She managed to say amidst pained wheezes and short breaths._

_"Aww...does it hurt? Here, let me take care of that for you." The woman assured in a calm voice before squeezing Catherine's heart in her hand forcefully, applying more and more pressure until the heart crumbled to sand and dust in the Witch's hand._

_A scream rang out from amongst the crowd of still villagers, who could only look on, horrified, as Catherine fell dead; the life fleeing from her body before she could even hit the ground._

_"Bring me the child!" The Witch cried out amongst the villagers, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground as a single, unwilling villager brought Mason forward, the boy kicking and screaming all the way as tears poured down his face, calling desperately for his papa to come save him._

_"Hmm...well, I'll find some use for you." The Witch said nonchalantly before causing Mason to fall into a deep sleep with a wave of her hand._

_Lifting the boy up off the ground in her arms, Zelena took one last moment to point at Catherine's still body on the ground. _

_"Let that be a lesson for you all." She warned lastly before climbing on her magic broomstick and flying off into the air..._

_Nick Chopper felt the spell dissipate off him, but it didn't matter. All he could do was stare at the lifeless body of his wife, his hands cupping his face as he slowly fell to his knees, dropping his axe haphazardly to the ground._

_The other villagers watched Nick with varied expressions of guilt, sadness, and pain. Nick slowly crawled over to his wife's body on the ground, letting his hand run over her face to close her eyes, his own landing on the silver heart-shaped locket around her neck...the same one that he bought her in the early days of their marriage._

_With gentle hands, Nick unhooked the locket from around Catherine's neck, cupping the jewelry in his hands as he let out his grief..._

XXX

Mark sat silently in the middle of the streets, hunched over as a sense of loss so profound caused him to lose his touch with reality. Hands shaking as tears began to creep down his cheeks, Mark could barely hold onto his composure as memory upon memory, thought upon thought of his loss and his failures crept back into his mind.

His throat tightened painfully, making it difficult to breathe as he finally let loose all the pain and anguish he had been holding in without knowing it. His body racked with choking sobs, Mark let the tears flow as they would, both unable and unwilling to hold them back anymore. Never had he felt so lost, or so alone in his entire life.

A distant sound of thunder seemed to slowly bring him back from the brink of hysteria as Mark wiped the tears from his eyes, seeing a large purple cloud that seemed to sweep through Storybrooke.

Not moving from his spot on the street, Mark closed his red, bloodshot eyes; and let the smoke come as it would...

XXX

She couldn't do it; she couldn't go back out there, not after the pain of seeing Knox again did to her heart. She thought she could handle it, he just wanted to talk but she allowed her emotions to get the better of her, and ended up hurting them both than what was necissary. It wasn't his fault; dammit, so why didn't she feel guilty about directing her anger towards him?

Putting in her time card for the day, Ruby headed out of the diner through the back exit thirty minutes after she was sure that Knox was gone. The last thing she needed was for him to try again; emotionally there was no way she could get through that.

Her lanky arms wrapped around her torso tightly, willing it to bring some sort of comfort as she walked down the sidewalk, feeling her feet carry her where she knew she needed to be. The Toll Bridge wasn't that far of a walk from here, and it was a good thing because with her entire body feeling numb with hurt, she wasn't sure she'd be able to make it too much longer.

She thought she could make it, but she hadn't even reached the bench for the town's only bus stop before she collapsed down onto her knees, her arms holding herself steadfastly harder and harder as the silent tears began rolling down her cheeks and she was gasping for breath.

Mary Margaret. That's who she should be mad at, not Knox. If she hadn't found Mary Margaret, if David Nolan had never asked her to join the search party...if only she had known then what she had known now...

_"I wish she never woke up!"_

Ruby sobbed violently and let her back rest against the poles that held up the bus bench.

_"I wish she just died in that coma! I can't do this, I can't keep pretending that everything is okay. What am I going to do if Knox and Mary Margaret come into Granny's? I can't keep hiding. That stupid, stuck up, overly smiley little bi-"_

Ruby felt her entire body lurch forward, as if pushed by a sudden hurricane wind. What seemed like someone else's entire lifetime flashed through her mind, bringing tears of happiness to her eyes, replacing those of pain. She knew now, she knew everything!

"Snow..." Ruby breathed out reverently, wiping a tear from her cheek.

Ruby picked herself up off of the sidewalk and glanced around frantically for her long-lost friend. She sniffed the air as naturally as if she had been in her wolf form, picking up Snow's scent not too far away. Bright whites flashed as her lips spread into a wide smile, the tears of joy streaming down her already red cheeks as she kicked off her black high heels and bounded down the street in the direction of her friend.

"SNOW!"

XXX

Looking up from his homework, Mason's brown eyes happened upon his mother. He liked it when she slept, she didn't hold the stress in her face that this town inflicted upon her when she did. He supposed it came with the job of being Mayor, as he didn't clearly understand what all there was to be stressed about when you could practically do whatever you wanted, but at nearly nine years old Mason was able to deduce that the heavy weight his mother held on her shoulders went farther than just her job.

Mason uncrossed his legs and swung them over the side of the bed, setting his math book down on the bed where he had been sitting and went to refill the glass of water he had insisted his mother drink with a handful of asprin for the pain. She must not have planned on falling asleep since she remained in her work clothes, but he dared not wake her. She needed her sleep.

He went into his mother's master bathroom and refilled the glass of water in the sink, putting the bottle of asprin away in the medicine cabinet before returning to his mother's side and setting the glass down on the desk as quietly as he possibly could so that it would be there for her when she woke up.

He halfly sat on the edge of the bed on her side and reached forward to kiss her cheek lightly, surprised that a tear suddenly squeezed out of his eye and rolled down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away with the back of his sleeve and returned to the foot of the bed where he sprawled out comfortably and took up his math book again, but his heart wasn't into homework any longer, instead his thoughts drifting to the person who had done this to her.

Of course he knew plenty of people that spoke badly of his mother, but he didn't know anyone that would actually take action and try to harm her. Mason slammed his math book closed with an agitated sigh, knowing that studying now would be pointless.

"Gods help whoever hurt you mom, I'll break their nose just like I did Augusts, and I won't even feel bad about it because you told me that it's always the right thing when you stand up for those you love. And I _do_ love you mom, more than-"

A shockwave went through the house, though nothing seemed to be immediately effected but Mason himself. His stomach began twisting into strange knots, leaving him feeling very queasy as a headache suddenly reared in his head and caused him to close his eyes.

He saw a woman, skin as green as the skin of an apple and lips as pink as a rose and flashing her stunningly white teeth. Another woman was there, golden eyes as bright as the day with a small nose and exotic angular features. He knew this woman, she was his -

"-Mom?" Mason called out, slightly panicked as he opened his eyes wide once more. Regina must have sensed his distress as she sat up immediately, locking eyes with her son and saw the tears beginning to stream down her face.

"Mason! What-" Regina pushed herself away from the head of the bed and crawled over the few feet to her son, wrapping her arms around him comfortingly and ignoring the blinding sting that came from her injuries.

"She killed her!" Mason sobbed uncontrolably into Regina's chest, holding tightly onto her as if she were to disappear on him. "Don't leave me! Don't leave me like she did!"

Confusion and concern knitted onto Regina's face as she began to rub small circles into Mason's back, letting her lips kiss the top of his thick head of hair.

"Mason, what are-"

Regina's eyes snapped to her left and out the window. Out of the corner of her eye she had seen something, the only thing that could pull her attention away from her hysterical son, the only thing that could answer her questions in a way he never could and the only thing that could potentially save her life.

A billowing cloud of purple was headed their way, engulfing everything in it's wake without mercy. This meant two things. One, just as Gold said the curse had been broken and the people of Storybrooke were waking up. This would have caused an incredible amount of distress in The Queen if it hadn't been for the second fact; magic was coming.

"Hold on." Regina said pulling Mason closer to her still, feeling his head rising to see what it was that his mother was looking at through the window but Regina put her hand on his head, keeping it down as the fog slipped in through the cracks and devoured the both of them.

"Mom! What is this? I'm scared!"

"Shhh...Mason don't worry, everything is _just perfect_." Regina consoled him, unable to help the smile spreading across her lips as the smoke cleared around them. She laughed as a single tear of joy rolled down her cheek and kissed Mason once more on the top of his head.

"Don't be scared Mason, it's magic, magic is here, and it's going to help us. I promise, I will _never_ let anyone hurt you the way she did." Regina had no idea who this 'she' was that he had been distressing about earlier, but the smile on his face and the relax she felt in his muscles put her mind at ease that it was the right thing to say; and it was true...nothing would _ever_ come between her and her son so long as she drew breath.

No doubt the people of Storybrooke would be at her doorstep within minutes, demanding her head on a spike just as Gold had said, but with magic, she would be quick to show them that she still held the power that she had lost over the last few weeks.

_"Starting with that insufferable Henry Carlyle..."_

XXX

"You freed Belle, you had to of known I'd go after Regina."

Mr. Gold lay back in his cell, the tiny cot of a bed providing little to no comfort for the older gentleman as another shooting pain came down on his back and across his chest, causing him to grit his teeth and suck in a painful breath. His skin was coated in a light sheen of sweat, and in previous request by the Storybrooke Sheriff his suit jacket had been removed prior to being locked in his cell, causing Mr. Gold to claw open the first couple buttons of his dark blue dress shirt and loosen his tie in a futile attempt to try and feel cooler.

In the thousand or so years he had been alive, Rumpelstiltskin had never gone through so much pain, even dwarfing the time he broke his own leg to return to his bitch of a wife Milah and the light of his world, Baelfire. A quiet whimper came from the pawnbroker as he slumped down even further onto the bed, his head resting crudely against the cement wall corner of his cell, just inches now from lying flat on the bed. But he wouldn't give in; this pain was something he could endure, even if the corners of his vision had gone black and his lungs felt as if he were breathing through a coffee straw.

Robert Leland was not in a great mood, and Gold's comments did not help.

"I was hoping to arrest Regina right after I dropped off Belle. I had no idea she would be at your store. I also thought you were more of the type to make long terms plans for revenge. Someone your age must have some pretty impressive patience." The Sheriff quipped, pretending to be busy at his desk with paperwork.

Had he not been in so much pain, Mr. Gold might have chuckled at that remark. Instead, he shifted himself on the bed in hopes to find a more comfortable position to no avail and grunted in his discomfort, letting the sweat instead fall from his face and onto his silk shirt, too tired to even grumble about how impossible the stains would be to get out.

He instead concentrated on his breathing, which was proving to become a steadily increasing demanding task. Part of him just wanted to give up; to give into what his body was screaming for and let his eyes flutter closed, but the moment he did, flashes of the smile on his daughter's face caused him to snap them back open. He had to stay awake...for Baelfire, his entire world.

"I've wanted her dead for a long, long time." He admitted with his lips curling up into a snarl, pushing past the pain though causing an increase in his already ragged breathing.

_"Gods Belle, __**hurry**__!"_

"You're not exactly helping your case here." Robert said keeping his nose down on the blank forms in front of him on the desk. "I'm not very fond of either you or Regina, but I'm the sheriff of this town, and I am guided by the law, not by my personal judgments. You should be glad about that, I don't know what would have happened if I still had that curse on me."

Mr. Gold had a pretty good idea, but he held his tongue, mostly because it was taking every bit of strength he had to just keep awake _and_ he didn't feel like explaining how none of that would even matter in the next few minutes; provided of course that stupid cat did his job correctly.

Thunder rolled in the distance; at first Mr. Gold believed that his hearing had started to act up on him but when it sounded again, closer this time, he made a last-stitch effort to sit up on the cot, a feeble smile tugging at his thin lips. He managed to get his shoulder blades to rest against the cold cement wall, craning his neck to look out the window to the right of Robert's desk but it was _just_ out of his view.

Robert, however, looked up almost immediately as the sunlight the room held within it had been suddenly cut off, and what he saw made his jaw hang open. A purple cloud of smoke came rushing towards them, enveloping everything in its path without a single regard.

"What is that?" He asked, exasperated before reflexively covering his mouth with his arm.

"Magic..." Mr. Gold answered with a wolfish smile. He didn't need to see the immense purple cloud to know what the Sheriff was talking about, he could _feel_ it. Not even a handful of moments passed before the purple fog began seeping in through the cracks and seams of the Sheriff's department. Mr. Gold found himself standing with immaculate ease and grasped the bars of his cell, willing to get closer and inhaling the smoke with a deep breath as it overtook him and everything inside.

_"Belle my angel, you did it!"_

It was exactly what the sheriff had feared, magic had returned. Robert felt mentally and physically different almost immediately, like the old Roland he remembered being when he had been forced to serve Regina's side. He got up from his desk to look directly at Mr. Gold - Rumpelstiltskin, and said,

"I guess I was stupid to think that I could ever get out of a deal I made with you. With the way things are going, maybe you'll end up regretting it as much as I do."

"No one breaks deals with me dearie." Mr. Gold replied as the purple smoke dissipated around him, seeming to cling to him a bit longer than anything else in the room. The staggering, haggard, sweaty man was gone, replaced with a man standing tall despite being locked away behind iron bars. His face looked and felt fresh and despite the disheveled appearance of his once ironed pristine clothing, he looked in even _more_ power than he had ever before…a change that brought Robert back to remembering just who he had locked behind bars now, and took a tentative step backwards.

The pain...the pain was gone..._everywhere_! Albeit his leg but he of course was used to that before he had gotten his power. It had only been five years, but Mr. Gold swore that never again would he take the feeling of being a truly healthy man for granted. Was breathing always this wonderful?

"Let me go; I'll deal with Regina, and then you'll no longer have to answer to anyone but yourself." Mr. Gold said, his voice sounding dark, matching the nearly black color his eyes had melted into from the sheer exhilaration of magic filling his veins once again after so long...the _power_.

"You know I can't do that." Robert replied quietly. Mr. Gold was an enemy of Regina, releasing him would endanger her, his code of chivalry wouldn't allow him to do something like that. "Fortunately, the laws here require due process. You can leave as soon as your hearing is finished, shouldn't be any more than 48 hours." Clearing his throat awkwardly, Robert then took his leave to the store room where the evidence locker was held; anywhere really to keep the eyes of Rumpelstiltskin off of him; he hated it when he was looked at like some sort of easily-squished bug.

Mr. Gold outwardly scoffed, his blackened eyes rolling as he took two steps back away from the bars. Sure, he _could_ wait until the hearing...or he could even get in a phone call to the DA who happened to owe him a handful of favors...but Rumpelstiltskin was never known for his patience.

He raised his hand, feeling the magic flowing through his fingers, itching towards blowing the iron bars clean off the cement wall. His time being locked up was finished, and no one had the right to decide otherwise than himself. His eyes narrowed and began to pull the magic out from within his core when suddenly a gunshot caught his attention; the bullet skipping off the ground in the center of the room and spinning uselessly until it rolled into the wall on the left.

"Next time it will be between your eyes you filthy sonofabitch!" Moe French had entered the Sheriff's office, reloading the 9mm pistol with the most unsteady hand Rumpelstiltskin had ever seen and raised it once more to point at Mr. Gold. It would have been worthy of a light chuckle if he hadn't been followed in by a group of ten or so other people, all eyes glaring daggers at The Dark One but still stayed back apprehensively, unsure exactly what it was that purple smoke had been all about.

Half the town believed that it was magic, as stated by Mother Superior, the other half didn't know what to make of it and became mad with fear. Clearly, this was a small portion of that half.

Mr. Gold simply returned his hand to his side and walked back up to the barrier the metal bars provided, getting a good look at those who wished for his head on a spike before letting his eyes rest back on the town florist, a flickering smile playing across his lips. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or feel disappointed at their numbers, perhaps there were others still in the process of regaining their memories...or perhaps he only came second on their list; right underneath Regina.

"Mr. French! What can I do for you?"

XXX

_Thunder clapped and the wind howled as Maurice guided his horse that pulled the heavy cart of merchandise through the forest. The old man knew that he needed to find shelter and soon. There was honestly no way that he would be able to last through this storm if he stayed out any longer. He kept a hand on the horse's reins, and his other hand clasped tightly around a bag of gold coins. His white knuckles around that bag showed that the money was quite important to him...probably more so than life itself._

_He looked up around to see only dead trees, until the streaks of lightning illuminated a dilapidated castle nearby for a brief instant. He smirked to himself. Finally! Shelter! He guided his horse up the path, and with some struggling, they finally reached the castle. Maurice led his horse to the stable that was conveniently placed nearby. After that, he went to the front double doors and knocked, praying that someone would show the merchant mercy, at least until the storm let up._

_When there was no answer, he knocked again, this time more urgently but as the rain continued to fall and soak through to his bones, there was still no answer. Looking around his surroundings once more, he took note that the place hadn't looked touched in years; perhaps it was just his luck he had come across an abandoned castle? Maurice clapped his hands together, attempting to warm them the best he could with the bag of gold clutched still tightly in his right hand and tried the knob, finding it to turn with a bit of effort, feeling the rusty tumblers creak and threaten to break and pushed the door open. The door creaked loudly. If anyone __**were**__ inside, they would no doubt be alerted to his presence now._

_Once inside, Maurice flipped his cloak's hood off of his head and he looked around. There was no light, except from the brief instances from the lightning. Everything in here was a wreck, and covered in dust. Nobody could have lived in a place like this! Not comfortably anyway._

_With the assumption in mind, Maurice started to look for a place where he could sleep for the night. However, his search took a while, due to the grand size of the castle. In one of the rooms he stumbled into he took a quick inventory of the objects inside. A long, dark oak table, a spinning wheel, and ten or so pedestals showcasing various items. It was upon one of these pedestals that he spotted something quite...rare? Exquisite? Unique? Whatever the term...it was definitely something that would earn him a lot of money!_

_A pale pink rose, made out of from what he could tell, crystal. The soft glow that came from the inside of the crystal petals, with smaller white lights falling slowly and gently to the surface of the pedestals that the pink rose was placed on. The rare artifact also seemed to be shielded from the thin layer of dust by a glass large cylindrical lid._

_Maurice walked up slowly to the artifact, almost like he was entranced by the glow, and he slowly and carefully removed the glass lid so he could get a better look at the glowing rose._

_"Lost are we?" The ominous silence of the Dining Hall was crudely interrupted by a sudden voice, followed immediately by a giggle. Maurice whipped his thick neck around in surprise to locate the source of the voice as his heart leapt into his throat in surprise. Suddenly, he felt the top of his white, clammy hand being swatted away and turned his neck once more and let out a quiet cry of surprise as he came face to face with a beast._

_"We musn't touch what isn't ours, dearie! The consequences could be quite...unsettling..." Rumpelstiltskin chided, flashing the portly man a rather wicked smile through the darkness. A streak of lightning flashed across the stormy sky, the light coming in through the thickly curtained windows to reveal the green and gold complexion of the monster of the castle. He looked human enough if it hadn't been for the obscure skin color and dead eyes; and that smile...teeth rotted and black, it was a wonder they were all still intact. Still, the tan silk shirt layered underneath a golden colored vest complimented by black leather pants and shoes would give someone reason to believe that he was indeed human...and wealthy._

_Maurice stumbled backwards a few steps after his hand was swatted away and while the beastly man in front of him spoke. He stuttered, snapping back to his senses, and trying to regain his composure, _

_"Ah! My-My apologies! I-I thought this castle was abandoned." He slowly started backing away from the man in front of him, not quite sure if the person was more man or more of a beast. Could this person be reasoned with? Or would he just behave like a beast? But a darker part of his mind whispered plans and ideas in his head on how to get the rose from the beast, or what sort of money he could bring in by killing such a monster. "I came in here for shelter from the storm." He added, taking another step back._

_"Yes...that much is clear..." Rumpelstiltskin said in a bored tone, letting his dark eyes scan the merchant with great detail, seeming to size him up. Once he was satisfied, Rumpelstiltskin turned from the man and began walking away, snapping his fingers once and in turn, the candelabras in the room lit, illuminating the dark room with enough light that would be considered 'comfortable.' He turned back to face Maurice in a bit of a flourish, his hands dancing around a bit as if he didn't know what to do with them._

_"I suppose I could let you stay...for a price of course..." He said letting the child-like giddiness back into his voice, a small giggle coming straight afterwards as his still dark eyes glanced at the pouch the merchant was holding fast to._

_Maurice blinked at the mention of the price. He was a merchant! He was an expert in trading! From what he could tell, the man may not ask him for the money...he looked wealthy as he is. But even so, the possibility was still there. He asked the man in a completely calm and negotiable manner, _

_"What would you like in return? I am a merchant, and I have a wide variety of wares I can offer you."_

_Rumpelstiltskin giggled for the third time that evening, his torso twisting on his hips side to side with the eagerness of a child just itching to open his birthday presents._

_"I have no use for your wares...or your gold..." He assured the man, though his dark eyes lingered on the satchel in the man's hand for a moment longer. With a slight shake of his head, Rumpelstiltskin flourished his right arm into the air, a small cloud of purple smoke encasing the satchel and as the cloud of magic disappeared, so did the bag of coins. "...and neither will you." He added on, his voice dropping to a low snarl, the lit candles in the room flickering at The Dark Ones words._

_"You intruded on the wrong castle dearie! And now, you shall get what you want and stay here…forever, as my slave! But don't despair! I have quite a few spells and potions I'm eager to test out before we're through! It'll keep you entertained I'm sure…" Rumpelstiltskin shouted with his arms waving in every-which direction, and though his voice level remained raised, he bantered between jovial and angry, as if unsure on which one to pick._

_"Wh-Wh-Wha-WHAT?!" He started to beg, sweating profusely in fear at the man and at his predicament, "No! Please! I have six daughters waiting for me to come home! They need me!"_

_Rumpelstiltskin let out a shrill "NYEAHH!" expressing his amusement._

_"You should have thought of that before you entered The Dark Castle. __**Everyone**__ knows they don't leave here without something special to trade, and in your case, it's to be your freedom!"_

_Maurice interjected, now paling in realization about who the man was _

_"Y-you're Rumpelstiltskin? But I had no idea that this was The Dark Castle to begin with! I'll leave immediately, that should render such a trade null!"_

_"Mmmmm..." Rumpelstiltskin hummed, seeming to seriously consider the man's words. "No." He then said indefinitely and waved his hand once more, covering Maurice in a thick cloud of purple smoke and removed him from the Dining Hall._

_With a quiet huff, Rumpelstiltskin adjusted his golden colored vest and turned to head out himself, the candles extinguishing by magic as the grand double doors closed with a resounding thud as he made his way back to the tower where he would continue his evening unbothered._

_The old man soon found himself in a prison cell once the smoke cleared from his vision. He stumbled over to the bars and he clasped the cold metal in fists and he called, _

_"Please! Please, let me go! I'm sorry!" He cried, begged, and plead throughout the time that he was in the prison cell, but it seemed as though his cries fell on deaf ears._

_As the hours passed by, he felt his throat start to dry from dehydration, making it difficult for him to continue his cries. He was also starting to become desperate. He started to even consider trading one of his daughters away for his freedom. If Rumpelstiltskin was indeed a man, then a woman would certainly be something he was interested in...right? No...no he could never wish his fate on the jewels of his life, and so the idea was immediately dismissed._

_XXX_

_A complete day passed by before the thick wooden door of Maurice's cell creaked open, however there was no one on the receiving end of the dungeon, as if the door had been opened by magic._

_Maurice blinked in surprise at the sound and the sight of the cell opening ever so slowly. He stood up shakily, and he cautiously looked out, as though expecting Rumpelstiltskin to pop out of nowhere and cast some kind of spell on him. When he was sure enough, he stepped out of the cell, and planned on leaving the castle._

_As soon as he reached the top of the staircase, there was a small tray laid out on a circular table with a couple slices of stale bread and a tankard of water._

_His lips cracked and dry from dehydration, Maurice went for the tankard first, splashing the majority of it on his chest in his haste to guzzle the water down his throat and couldn't help but to silently plea to the tankard to magically refill itself when it had been drained of its contents, but the tankard remained empty. With a sigh, Maurice set it back down on the table and pushed his mind back to a more pressing matter; escape. When he tried the door, he found that it was locked. He swore under his breath realizing that he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up so high for something so easy. From what he had seen of this dungeon thus far, he doubted that there was any other exit._

_"Do that again and I'll skin you alive." The familiar voice called out to the portly man, though it held no hints to whether he was joking or not. Rumpelstiltskin had, at some point, materialized himself sitting on the edge of the table letting his legs swing back and forth like an eager child._

_Maurice jumped and turned to face Rumpelstiltskin in shock and fear. How could he have not noticed The Dark One there before? _

_"That's not the worse you intend to inflict on me, is it?" He asked, surprised at how the bravery in his voice was levels above what he was feeling inside._

_"Now you're catching on dearie." Rumpelstiltskin giggled softly._

_Tears started to well in Maurice's eyes as the gravity and despair of the situation started to become fully realized in his mind. He didn't dare to let them fall though. He soon gathered up the courage to request the imp, _

_"Before you end up killing me, could you at least let me write to my daughters? At least let me say good-bye to them. This is a very small thing compared to what you intend to do to me."_

_Rumpelstiltskin's dark eyes rolled at Maurice's pitiful pleas, feeling nauseated already and it wasn't even tea time._

_"Yes yes yes, so long as the blubbering stops!" He said raising his hand to his head, attempting to rub away the rising headache. He flicked his opposite wrist, the tray of bread and water replaced with a blank piece of parchment and ink quill._

_Maurice fell silent as the parchment and ink quill appeared. He went over to the table and he started hastily writing on the parchment, trying to make sure that his tears didn't land on the parchment and smudge the ink. He wrote of his plight, and how he would never return home. He wished his six daughters, all by name, the best in life, and to be happy._

_When he finished, he set the ink quill back into the ink pot, to show Rumpelstiltskin that he finished writing the letter._

_Rumpelstiltskin hadn't moved from his perch atop the table, bending at his torso and neck to read over Maurice's words more out of boredom than of paranoia._

_"How nauseatingly romantic..."_

_When Maurice indicated that he was done he snatched the letter away from Maurice and with a flick of his wrist, the letter was folded, sealed, and then gone from the castle entirely._

_"Now then, if you're done blathering like a child..."_

_Maurice chuckled bitterly _

_"If you thought that was blathering, then you clearly know absolutely nothing."_

_Rumpelstiltskin hopped off of the table, clearly unmoved by the merchant's words and began heading towards the Dining Hall when Maurice addressed him once more in an utterly serious tone._

_"You don't know what it's like to have a daughter..."_

_The Dark One halted in his step, his back hunching over slightly as he kept it facing the merchant. A muscle in his cheek twitched and his blood began to boil hot under his skin. He turned slowly to face Maurice, the once jovial, childlike expression he held gone in an instant and replaced with nothing but malice._

_"And that just goes to show that __**clearly**__ it is __**you**__ who knows nothing!" He breathed out through clenched teeth. Rumpelstiltskin's fingertips began to crackle, white spurts of what looked like electricity dancing around his hands until finally The Dark One waved his hand in Maurice's general direction. A trail of black smoke went from his fingertips to the merchant, covering him entirely and shrinking with the merchant's body until all that was left was a rather large cockroach where Maurice had once been._

_"Let's see if being the slimy little cockroach you are for a few days won't teach you a little something. Best hope I don't forget you're here or better yet - best hope that I don't __**accidentally**__ step on you." Rumpelstiltskin let out another giggle, but his heart wasn't into it, making it all the more frightening. He scoffed as he watched the cockroach scurry away, the snarl never leaving his lips until it was gone entirely._

XXX

"What are you waiting for? Shoot him!" One of the townspeople called behind Moe French.

"While he's still locked up!" Another one chimed it.

"No! Not until I find out the truth!" Moe yelled back at the townspeople cowering behind him, all of which seemed to have no regard whatsoever for the Sheriff who poked his head back into the room, alarmed at hearing a gun go off in his own station. It was clear that the rules _had_ changed.

Moe French took a tentative step forward, testing the waters to see just how close he could get to the monster before it snapped.

"My girl; what happened to my girl?" He asked, his lower lip quivering as he attempted to keep his tears at bay. "I know you did something! I know you were there! You have her locked up somewhere don't you? Just as you did in The Dark Castle, forever a prisoner because of _my_ mistakes!"

"Glad to see your memory is all there." Mr. Gold slightly mumbled, unblinking as he stared the barrel of the gun down, more interested in the tears that began streaming down the chubby man's cheeks.

Robert shook his head, figuring that this had gone on far enough and made his way over to Moe French. The mob was thick and hard to pass through, but his newfound strength helped him create a path. Reached Moe quickly and tackled him from behind, trying to wrestle him to the ground. Immediately the townspeople that had followed Moe into the Sheriff's Department became outraged, shouting obscenities at the Sheriff, begging him to see reason behind their purpose there, some even going as far as pushing past the others to charge Robert themselves and pulling out their own concealed weapons.

Robert got his hand on the gun, but was immediately assaulted by almost a dozen townspeople. He was still on the ground with Moe, and the mob rained down stomps and kicks aimed at his head. Robert took the hits and rose to his knees, surviving the onslaught. The townsfolk had now managed to draw their weapons, swinging at Robert with knives and blunt objects while the Pawnbroker watched with amusement behind bars. After the first hit, Robert realized that his life was in danger, and he had no other choice. A thunderous bang echoed through the police station, Robert had fired the gun. He didn't have a chance to aim because he was too busy trying to block the attacks, and the bullet hit a target he didn't intend to.

XXX

Belle hurried back to the station once the fog cleared up. She wanted to confront Rumpelstiltskin about lying to her, however, the thought perished when she saw the mob bum-rushing into the station, all with weapons raised led by a man who she only got a glimpse of, but was sure was her own father.

Mr. Gold's eyes snapped up from the pitiful fighting before him as he felt a new presence in the building, his suspicions only confirmed when he saw a glimpse of Belle's chestnut colored hair.

Despite the chaos once inside the Sheriff's station, she heard her father's voice amongst the crowd. She pushed her way through, until a bang ran through the air and a sharp pain went through her left shoulder.

She widened her eyes at the pain and screamed loudly as she fell to her knees while the crowd went silent. Through the ringing in her ears, she could hear her father calling out to her over the outraged shouting of who she was sure was Rumpelstiltskin. She couldn't hear them though, not clearly. She lifted her hand off of her shoulder, feeling wet and realized at once it was covered in blood.

It took a moment before Mr. Gold could even register what had happened, his blackened eyes looking at the smoking gun being held in Robert Leland's grasp; Belle on the floor. He was sure she was crying out, but he heard nothing, a deafening ringing in his ears followed immediately by his mouth hanging slightly agape.

There was a loud _boom_ and the bars of his cell were blown completely off followed by large chunks of cement, all hurling towards the crowd of townspeople at an incredible speed but he did nothing to stop it. Thankfully, the group had enough sense to get out of the way of the flying shrapnel before it could do any real harm. He immediately rushed to Belle's side, scooping her up to hold against him once on his knees, cradling her head into his chest.

"It's alright Belle, it's alright...I can stop this..." He cooed, his accent so thick he hardly even recognized it as his own voice; it had been _centuries_ since he _truly_ spoke with the dialect he was born with, something he just eased into no longer using that became his norm after becoming The Dark One.

The pain didn't seem to cease until Rumpelstiltskin reached her and held her close to him. Her ears rang, and whatever Rumpelstiltskin said was an auditory blur. Her vision grew hazy, as the sharp pain in her shoulder seemed to come back and she could only mumble, "Rumpel..." before she passed out, her chest still rising and falling with every breath her body took.

"No, no no no!" Tears began to sting the corners of his eyes as he looked down on his beauty, feeling her lose consciousness in his arms. Quickly, he ran his hand over her shoulder where the most blood seemed to be pooling out of, feeling her injury by magic and reaching out with it until he no longer felt the presence of the bullet embedded into her flesh. He bent his neck down to kiss her cold, sweaty forehead delicately before scooping her up in his arms as he stood.

His eyes immediately happened on Robert, the tears gone and in their place nothing but detestation. He dared anyone from the watching crowd to do something, to say something to him, but especially daring for Robert to make some sort of comment about needing to get back into his cell. His nostrils flared when Moe opened his mouth to say something but then clamped it back shut immediately as he met the monsters black eyes.

There were a thousand thoughts flying through Robert's head at this moment, but he did not vocalize any of them. He stood up and backed away from the mob, keeping an eye on everyone involved and making his way to a secondary exit. Today had been a very bad day for him, and it was far from over.

Mr. Gold's right leg shook violently under the added weight as he stood to his full height, holding Belle closer to him still. He'd rather endure breaking a thousand bones again than to lose sight of Belle, even for a moment. He'd be back for his things later, now he needed to tend to the one of the two people that made living worthwhile. A cloud of purple smoke encased both Belle and Mr. Gold, vanishing beneath it until nothing was left but his cane and suit jacket, folded neatly on a nearby chair outside the cells.

XXX

_It had been a month since Maurice had left the six sisters, and it had only just been last week when Belle received the letter from her father. It was an understatement just to say that Belle and her older sisters were shocked to hear that their father was now The Dark One's slave, all because he intruded into his castle seeking refuge from a storm._

_Belle immediately headed out to go and find Rumpelstiltskin's castle herself, despite her sisters' warnings and pleads asking her to do otherwise. It had been a week of travelling until she finally reached The Dark Castle. When she saw the tall and ominous tower, she was sure that this was place she was looking for._

_She took in a few deep breaths, bracing herself for meeting with The Dark One, before she walked up to the large double doors and knocked on the door loudly and called for Rumpelstiltskin. The doors swung open almost immediately, allowing Belle entrance, and yet no one was there to have opened the door for her._

_Belle entered cautiously, and she looked around warily. As she entered, and looked through the castle eventually finding a stone staircase that led downwards._

_"Hello...? Is anyone here...? ...Papa?" Soon she found the dungeons, and she called after she heard movement, "Hello?" The noises grew louder, and a familiar voice answered, _

_"Belle? Belle, is that you?!" Overwhelmed with joy, Belle rushed over to the cell and she called, _

_"Papa!" When she reached the cell, they held each other's' hands, and Maurice asked in worry, _

_"Belle! What are you doing here?" _

_"I got your letter papa. I'm here to rescue you!"_

_Maurice shook his head no sadly. _

_"Belle, no! Don't worry about me, you need to get out of here, before __**he**__ realizes that you're here!" _

_"But I can't just leave you here!" Belle replied quickly, feeling the sting of tears coming into her eyes._

_"I think...you'll find...you can..." Rumpelstiltskin's voice cut in, the Imp seeming to appear out of nowhere as he stood out in the open behind the female. His green eyes scanned the newcomer over carefully, his brows furrowing in the slightest unsure what to make of her quite yet._

_He was garbed in his usual brown dragon-hide jacket today, the sharp points and rigid fabric making the small man look all the more imposing as his eyes began to melt into a darker color as he continued to examine the female, his head tilting ever so slightly to the side in curiosity._

_"Your father belongs to me now dearie, no one breaks a deal with me!" He chided with a smile._

_Belle and Maurice widened their eyes at Rumpelstiltskin's presence. Maurice stared in fear, while Belle whirled to face him, almost standing in front of her father protectively. When he made his chastisement, she narrowed her gaze at him._

_"Belle, please! Just leave! I don't want that...that __**beast**__ to do anything to you!" Maurice tried once again._

_Rumpelstiltskin placed a hand over his heart and let his jaw drop, exaggerating greatly that his feelings had been hurt._

_Belle seemed to ignore her father as she said to Rumpelstiltskin, _

_"What if I took his place...Rumpelstiltskin…" _

_Maurice gasped at what Belle said and he shouted desperately in an attempt to protect her, _

_"BELLE, NO! DON'T YOU __**DARE**__ SAY SUCH A THING!"_

_Rumpelstiltskin's fingers twitched at the female's request, his head tilting once more as he surveyed the beauty in front of him. Certainly he could get more work out of a woman than the portly merchant...males just never seemed to make good caretakers...or test subjects._

_"You would do that?" Rumpelstiltskin asked her with genuine curiosity, unsure what to make of her request._

_Belle answered his question seriously, _

_"Yes, I would, in return for my father's freedom from his servitude to you." It had been a reflexed thought that hadn't occurred to her until she had faced the beast head-on, but now…now that she saw his genuine interest in the bargain, she wouldn't dare change her mind. She kept her eyes on Rumpelstiltskin, as though trying to find any sign of any trickery or deceit on his part. Maurice begged once again, _

_"Belle, stop! What about your sisters? What about Gaston?!Don't forsake them for my sake!" Belle turned to her father, and smiled sweetly, taking his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze._

_"I'll be alright, Papa. No one decides my fate, but me."_

_Rumpelstiltskin's eyes bounced back and forth between father and daughter, his smile only growing wider and wider with each passing word._

_"It's forever dearie..." Rumpelstiltskin reminded Belle, looking back at her with just as much intensity, almost daring her to back off._

_Belle looked back to Rumpelstiltskin and she reaffirmed, showing that she wasn't backing down from this deal, _

_"My father will be safe from you, correct?"_

_The Imp put his hand back over his heart, though this time without the mockery._

_"You have my word." He promised with a slight bow._

_Belle promised after he gave his word, _

_"Then you have mine. I shall stay here and take Father's place...forever."_

_"DEAL! NYEAHH!" The Imp bounced up and down on the balls of his feet in excitement, flicking his wrist and letting the door of Maurice's cell open to give the merchant his freedom. As soon as the cell door opened, Maurice stood up and he went over to Belle and he hugged her sadly. _

_"Oh Belle...! No...!" Belle hugged back and she said sadly, _

_"Tell my sisters good-bye for me, alright Papa?" Maurice openly sobbed after Belle spoke, causing tears to fall from Belle's eyes as well. He seemed to be unwilling to let go of his daughter and lose her forever._

_Rumpelstiltskin's fingers twitched again in anticipation. There were one too many people in his castle now. A small swirl of purple smoke slowly built up at Maurice's feet, the bag of gold he had confiscated the first day Maurice had come into his castle appearing once again._

_"Unless you enjoyed your time as a cockroach, I suggest you go." He said, attempting to break up their sickening goodbye._

_Maurice backed up when he saw the cloud of purple smoke. He had thought that the imp was going to try and turn him into a bug again, but instead the gold coins appeared at his feet. He nodded silently in response to Rumpelstiltskin's warning, and picked up the gold before he left the dungeons and castle, while Belle stayed in the dungeons._

_As soon as Maurice had gone, Rumpelstiltskin approached the woman; perhaps he should start using her name now that she was bound to him forever. Nah._

_"Here, let me show you to your room..." He let his green hand hold the small of her back before pushing her back into the cell that had been previously occupied by her father and shut the door quickly, trapping her inside with an echoing giggle._

_Belle fell to the ground in the dungeon when he pushed her in. She heard his giggle, and she didn't bother screaming or shouting about how he couldn't just leave her there. She had expected that she would be in the dungeon, considering she said that she would take her father's place._

_She went to the small cot that was in the room and cried silently as the Imp left, humming a merry tune to himself._

**Author's Note: A very different backstory on Belle than the show, and I've been doing a lot of fanfic reading on the site here and no one has really taken this approach to Belle's backstory either so I thought I'd give it a stab and see if it stuck :) Just a few more chapters left dearies!**


	23. Chapter 23: Down the Rabbit Hole

**Author's Note:**

**Well I'm surprised I haven't been killed off yet by one of you haha. I've posted a new chapter every day for this story (aside from the weekends) and all of a sudden I disappeared for a week or two just before posting this last chapter. My bad. Real life got in the way with a whole ship-ton of dramas and events I just couldn't get around to getting this up for you all, and for that I deeply apologize. But now here it is! The final chapter of Book 1 of this series. I hope you all enjoyed reading and following as much as I enjoyed writing, it has been a great ride (but we are far from being done here folks!)**

Mary Margaret was still struggling to process her reunion with David Nolan, a man who just moments before she believed to be a good friend she had strong feelings for, but looking upon him now he was not only that, but her husband she had spent years back in The Enchanted Forest fighting tooth and nail for. This gave quick cause for her memories to engulf her in a sea of emotions, bringing shimmering tears to them that went unshed.

"I thought I lost you forever." She whispered to him softly, cupping his cheek with her hand.  
>This gave David cause to smile, letting the rough pads of his fingers caress the side of her silky smooth cheeks.<p>

"It's gonna take a whole lot more than The Dark Curse and a fleeting little sleeping curse to keep me from finding you." He answered with an airy laugh. His beady, wetted eyes glanced down for a moment to her stomach, a pang of dread rushing through his face causing the color to quickly drain. "The baby..."

XXX

_5 years ago..._

_Snow White took this moment to reflect on recent events and future plans. Regina was her mortal enemy, and always would be. That much was clear. Both of them had put forth a great effort to destroy the other, and so far all Regina's attempts had failed but at a high cost. Snow had grown tired of this cycle, but a new addition of fear pushed her into high amounts of anxiety at Regina's new threat she had instilled on her wedding day. Standing alone in the courtyard of her castle, she sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair, still kempt from having just arrived back home from their honey moon not more than a few days ago. She knew that there was more to life than finding a way to stop Regina, otherwise it would be pointless to plan any further which was something she desperately wanted._

_Snow wanted to raise a family. For a long time she feared for the safety of any child she and Charming brought into the world and delayed her dreams, but now she was tired of waiting. Her and Charming had gotten quite good at evading Regina, and raising a family would give her a new purpose in life, another goal to strive towards. Still though, she wanted a guarantee. Snow knew that he alone had the power to guarantee the safety of her child, should she ever have one, and she would be willing to accept his bargain. She sighed, shaking her head already knowing that sometime, down the road, she very well might regret this._

_"Rumpelstiltskin" She called out to the still night air. When nothing happened, she cleared her throat and said the name of The Dark One again, more sure this time with a hint of anxiousness._

_"What do you want?" The shrill voice of the infamous Imp called behind her, sounding rather agitated for being summoned at such a late hour, however the ever so tantalizing grin on his face offset his tone entirely. It truly was an impossible feat to know what kind of mood The Dark One was in simply by looking at him. He sat plainly on the stone bench just behind Snow White, one leg crossing over the other with his knotted fingers clasping tight to his knee. His dark eyes searched the face of the new Queen, his smile faltering only slightly as he seemed to be mulling over something in his head._

_Snow had long given up trying to read Rumpelstiltskin's emotions, having dealt with him so many times before in her past, she wanted to get to the point quickly. _

_"Regina." She said simply, as if that would explain everything. She didn't doubt for a moment that the Imp was already aware of what had transpired at her wedding._

_The Dark One rose from his sitting position, his shoulders shrugging in high exaggeration as a low chuckle came from his throat, though turned his hands out in question as if he was unsure._

_"You wish to know more about Regina's threat." He said taking a moment to wipe of a speck of dust resting on the shoulder of his brown, dragon-hide coat, bored with the conversation already. "What's it worth?"_

_"Voluntary exchange is a fundamental moral principle, I do not expect nor desire that you give me anything for free. As you well know I am not a parasite that demands or takes unjustly, I will pay the price you name."_

_Rumpelstiltskin seemed to think her request over, his fingers fidgeting as he looked upon her thoughtfully._

_"There is a man," He began, the shrill, childlike tone replaced by something else entirely, something more...human. "you may know him as Jefferson, a good friend of your Prince-turned-King. You'll tell him to meet with me in a weeks time?" He asked, stating his price._

_Deals with Rumpelstiltskin were never as innocent as they first appeared, but this one had no obvious red flags as far as Snow could tell. She had met with Jefferson on a number of occasions before and was sure that he would be able to hold his own against Rumpelstiltskin._

_"I accept. Now…Regina…"_

_The Imp once again shrunk back from Snow with a light giggle._

_"You're worried." He observed, keeping his smile plastered to his face as he watched the new Queen's eyes darken on him. "Fear not! For I can ease your mind!" He sing-songed with a slight flourish of his arms before letting his smile fall completely, and looked back upon Snow White with a great intensity, suddenly grim and serious._

_"The Queen has created a powerful curse, and it's coming. Soon you'll all be in a prison. Your prison; __**all**__ of our prisons will be __**time**__. Time will stop, and we will be trapped, someplace horrible, where everything we hold dear, __**everything**__ we love will be __**ripped**__ from us while we suffer for __**all**__ eternity; while The Queen celebrates __**victorious at last!**__ No more happy endings..."_

_Snow's face remained cold, hiding her worry and displeasure at the answer. Perhaps the only thing more dangerous than making a deal with Rumpelstiltskin was letting him know your hand. "But we are alive? Until I'm buried, Regina hasn't won. My very existence is intolerable to her. If she wins, either I am dead or she is."_

_"Well," Rumpelstiltskin began, the child-like tone returning to his voice. "there is the small matter of a piece of fruit..." He giggled and waved his hand at his own comment, brushing it aside. "I assured you once before that The Queen will be unable to harm you and your family in __**this**__ land, and that __**is**__ the case...__**in this land**__. The prison to where we are to be sent to is uncertain, and I cannot guarantee the safety of that little thing growing inside of you." His hands came out of there showy flourish and gestured towards Snow's stomach._

_Snow's annoyance by the trickster's crude behavior was quickly swept aside by her shock at the news. She wanted a child, and had been trying to conceive since her wedding night, but didn't think for a moment that it was already on its way. _

_"I'm with child? I don't feel any different, how can you know for certain?"_

_Rumpelstiltskin turned his head, a sideways glance with a raised eyebrow in a non-verbal 'really?'_

_Snow immediately decided that she did not want to spend any more time pondering exactly how The Dark One could see inside her body. As despicable as he was, he didn't lie, and she couldn't think of any way he could be wrong. She glared at him and said "Earlier, you said that it may not be safe for my child, what did you mean by that?"_

_"For the little thing growing inside you, yes. And just exactly what I said!" The Imp replied with a fast-paced flourish of his arms, clearly growing irritated with the conversation already. Why was it that people always had a hard time believing his words? Gauging the look on the new Queen's face, Rumpelstiltskin scrunched up his nose in annoyance and flicked his wrist. When the small amount of violet smoke had cleared, a small envelope was held fast in his hand, in the center a golden wax seal pulsing with white magic._

_"Mmmm...here..." He said handing her the letter with obvious reluctance and a breath of hesitation._

_It was useless trying to get Rumpelstiltskin to elaborate on anything. She cautiously walked forward to pick grab the letter, and examined the seal. It wouldn't open for her right now, causing her to look up at Rumpelstiltskin with a quirked brow._

_"It won't open." Rumpelstiltskin said unable to keep his eyes from rolling at the obvious. Well, obvious to him. "Not until you are ready. Keep it in a safe place dearie, that letter will guide you once the curse has broken. A lot can happen in five years..."_

_Everything he said only raised more questions and couldn't help but to push her luck with his unpredictable mood. _

_"So, her curse doesn't last forever, she doesn't win? What's happening in five years?"_

_The Imp seemed rather giddy in his response, his otherwise lopsided smile growing with the glee in his dark eyes._

_"There is much I do not know of this new land we are to be imprisoned in, but there is one thing I am most certain about." He replied, keeping his wide grin._

_"__What's that?" Snow asked holding his gaze into his dead eyes._

_"__You." Suddenly he was gone, not even a cloud of blood red smoke to be seen as per his usual exit, the only proof of him being there to begin with being the letter now in Snow White's possession._

_The sound of metal scraping against metal filled the air where the Imp's giggle had once been, drawing Snow's attention to the gardens in which James had just walked out of. Even by the blue moonlight she could see that the color had been drained from his face, his beady eyes staring at the spot where The Dark One had just vanished from as he carefully sheathed his sword. He finally brought his bright blues to look upon his wife, his face unreadable as he asked quietly,_

_"Snow?"_

_A sense of guilt washed over Snow almost immediately, but she stayed by her decision in calling The Dark One to her aid without him._

_"__Were you there the whole time?" She asked quietly, slowly walking to meet him._

_"Long enough." James replied, keeping his hand on his hip where his sword rested. "You...you went to __**him**__? Even after all we've gone through?" He asked, a hint of hurt in his voice._

_"We both know that he is the only one who could give us answers. In times like these, I think we need every little bit of help we can get."_

_Charming sighed and used his free hand to run his fingers through his sandy colored hair. She was right; she was always right...but that didn't mean he always had to like it._

_"But you're...we're..." He paused, the first letter of his next word getting stuck on his lips for a moment or two. "...pregnant..." He wasn't sure if he was asking, or confirming. Either way, he wasn't sure how to take it given what Rumpelstiltskin had to say about their future._

_"It's what we wanted, isn't it? We knew we were taking a chance, and we still don't know what's going to happen. All we can do is stay together and stand strong. Not everything he said was bad."_

_"You're right." James said letting his hand loose from his hip and placed both hands on Snow's shoulder's delicately, staring intently into her eyes as he face melted away from the unsure to something more determined; braver. _

_"You're absolutely right. You are going to be a wonderful mother Snow, let's just hope that she inherits your intuition." He cracked a smile, a glint of humor in his eye as the realization slowly began to settle in within him; he was going to be a father!_

XXX

The color in Mary Margaret's already pale face drained at David's realization. She had almost forgotten! They were in the new land that Rumpelstiltskin had warned her about, and Regina was as big a threat as ever.

"It'll be alright. With both of us, there's nothing-"

"SNOW!" Ruby ignored the painful, small bits of asphalt beginning to embed in her bare feet as she ran down Main Street, finding Snow and Charming in front of the Clock Tower. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked upon her best friend, alive and well and..._alive_! The waitress didn't stop running until she had her arms wrapped firmly around her best friend's neck in a tight hug and as she was taller than the raven-haired woman, she settled for resting her chin on the top of Mary Margaret's short hair.

"Easy Ruby, you're going to knock her over!" David remarked with a light chuckle, stepping closer to the two women to put one arm around Mary Margaret, and the other behind Ruby, putting himself into the hug which didn't go unnoticed by the two women.

"You're alive! Dear Gods you're alive!" Ruby sobbed quietly into her friend's hair, years and years of penitenced guilt building up in her heart finally coming undone in a painful, yet welcome release. She couldn't even bring herself to acknowledge David, not just yet, not when her and Snow had so much to catch up on, emotions and all.

Mary Margaret was glad to see another friend. Her time in the hospital had told her very little about the inhabitants of Storybrooke, most of the faces there were unfamiliar to her. She put aside her questions for a moment to talk to Red.

"I'm glad to be awake. Rumpelstiltskin told me the future would be bleak, but it can't be that bad if I've got you around. Before we do anything else, I think we should work on finding somewhere safe, we can catch up after that." She looked at the clock tower, pondering how long it would be before more people came looking for her.

"Where? How?" Ruby asked pulling out of the awkwardly positioned three-way hug, now looking over both her friends with equal adoration as Charming moved beside Snow to wrap his arm around her waist lovingly. He looked so much better at Mary Margaret's hip than Knox did.

"Regina is still Mayor, still in control, and Mr. Gold..." The waitress shuddered, unable to keep the goosebumps that crawled over her flesh at the very thought of the man in the pawnshop.

"Maybe we could leave town, go somewhere else until we can find a way back home. This world is huge, Regina can't be everywhere. As long as she is here, The Enchanted Forest is safe, and we will find our way back there some day."

David didn't look so convinced.

"Is there a reason we weren't...you know, magically put back into The Enchanted Forest?" He asked more towards Snow than Ruby. "I mean, Regina's curse is broken, so what's keeping us here?"

"Good question." Henry's voice called out behind the trio, apparently having snuck up behind them with Heather in tow. His eyes landed on Snow, awake and alive for the first in what seemed like forever, a wide grin appearing on his face before speaking again. "Hello Snow." He greeted simply, unsure of what else _to_ say to her.

Snow didn't recognize the man who greeted her at first, and he was with one of the doctors from the hospital, who didn't resemble anyone she remembered from The Enchanted Forest. It was bewildering to encounter more new people. However it was Henry's voice that gave him away and she asked with a widening grin,

"Cheshire? You've changed _a lot_ since I saw you last."

"Human again, yes...Oh, how I missed it - and missed you." He said in a tone that was completely serious, yet warm at the same time.

Heather, in the meantime, pushed aside Edric and Mary Margaret's reunion as she looked to David and Ruby instead, pushing the uncut emotions that came from how Edric looked at Snow were pushed to the back of her mind. She recognized both David and Ruby from the brief moment the two of them were at Rumpelstiltskin's castle just before the curse had hit. David she had only seen as Hyde, but she was herself when she tended to Ruby's possible internal injuries back in Rumpelstiltskin's castle. It was good to see that she hadn't died after all. She didn't say anything to them though, knowing David wouldn't recognize her and Ruby was practically unconscious the whole time; it would just raise suspicions.

She suggested, the British accent leaking back into her voice,

"Anyways...I don't suppose we could ask Regina, or anyone else who could know, about this matter?"

"Gold." David answered Dr. Stevenson indefinitely, eyes narrowed in the slightest as if speaking the name physically caused him pain. He ignored the subtle exchange between his wife and Henry, as there was more to that tale than either of them were letting up, and also ignored the daggered looks he got from both Mary Margaret and Ruby at his suggestion, instead keeping his eyes trained on Dr. Stevenson for the moment. He tried desperately to recall who she might have been before the curse, but the face wasn't striking any remote resemblance to anyone he knew. "He's our only other option." He finally finished, moving his gaze from Faye, then to Henry (again, unable to put his face to anyone he knew outside of Storybrooke), and back to his wife.

"If those are our only two options, then we're screwed." Ruby sighed and brought her fingers to her temples were her headache didn't seem to get any better.

"And what do you have to trade with the Imp in return, _Your Majesty_?" Edric asked the prince with enough condescension in his tone to match Regina's herself.

David bit the inside of his cheek to keep from lashing out at the clear shot to his authority. There would be a time for questions, and more importantly answers, later. For now, they needed to decide what the next best course of action to take was. He looked to those gathering around him and Snow, the assumed leaders since the regaining of their memories, their King and Queen. Still, there was one thought that David was unable to shake, and felt that he should voice his concern to the group.

"That purple smoke; where did it come from and what did it do?"

"It's magic." Edric put bluntly, though there was a small sense of pride in his tone. "And it was Rumpelstiltskin who arranged its return...that means he has it - and so does Regina." Henry added in a more affable tone; putting his own hatred for the prince aside to discuss a common issue. There was an audible groan heard throughout the group, none of which were happy to hear the news.

"I don't think the Queen will be open to taking visitors, especially considering she could incinerate us with a flick of her wrist." Edric added on, a dry edge to his voice.

"Then we find another way." David said meeting Henry's steely gaze, his own eyes holding nothing but hope and optimism in return.

XXX

_Brushing a hand through the gray fur of the wolf's back, up through the fur of the neck, he finally reached the top of its head. Gently he scratched along behind one ear, then the other. The wolf in return let out a single huff before playfully 'attempting' to nip at his fingers. Feeling the sharp teeth graze his fingertips, the shade paid no mind, but did draw his hand back for a moment in hesitation._

_As if understanding the gesture, the gray wolf leaned closer to him, and Night returned his hand to the fur of its head. Letting the shading of the fur seep into his being…the recent memory of not the beast, but its shadow, was brought into his mind._

_The wolf watched the shade reach a hand down and under it, wiggling off of the object it hid just in flattened tufts of grass that had just previously been under it. The object itself was noisy, the beaded string rattled easily with each movement, though the gray of the embroidered headdress was nothing to scoff at. Looking it twice over, the piece was elegant yet plain; the beaded portion was to veil the face of the wearer._

_Gently brushing dust off here and picking the grass off there, Night leaned over the now still wolf, placing the headpiece onto it…_

XXX

Awake before his eyes even opened, the red of the sun was seen before Knox realized he could feel the warmth from the same source touching his eyelids. His cheek felt slightly colder and numb, and there was a moment where it was much needed for whatever reason, then a moment when he just needed to turn away from the glass. Squinting, he blinked his eyes lightly before keeping them closed again. The tow truck wasn't moving anymore, and was instead parked at the side of the building.

Well, now he knew why he had headaches all the time…Night was never too fond of the sunlight.

Reaching into his jacket pocket with his sore arm and hand, Knox put on his sunglasses calmly and properly opened his eyes, blankly staring out his window at purple clouds high up in the air blowing away much too quickly to be normal…and his cracked window. A vague memory of freaking out in the vehicle was there, a man washed in memories that shouldn't have felt as foreign as they did, but it was gone as quickly as it had surfaced. Was that him?

Almost, it was almost like he was outside of himself, that recollection. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling, a memory of confusion. Frustrated, in a diner throwing an empty mug at a wall, being unable to heal that...human...betrayal at losing the moon, shock at that Ivan being deceptively strong and breaking his arm, Baba Yaga-or was it that sister of hers? Fucking his mind with her magic...the one fight with Day that _he_ has actually lost, didn't even know the man had it in him to fight dirty...opening a bloody sack to...!

Almost pitching forward in the car, Knox almost emptied the contents of his stomach onto the next seat. Shakily holding his head in his hands for a few minutes, willing away the memories over and over again like a prayer...it was gone, and he felt gone. From where he sat in the car, he could see the driver of the tow truck just a few meters outside, speaking to another individual before carelessly leaving him behind.

Paying no mind to this, Knox stared blankly ahead as he pulled his gloves on. Half asleep or not even all there anymore, a gloved hand was pressed to the broken glass…hard. The crack grew with the exerted force, harder he pressed as more cracks formed, before he finally withdrew. Clenching his hand into a fist, he drew his hand back as if to smash it with force, but instead lent the free hand to the action of simply opening the door.

Leaving the tow truck and continuing down the sidewalk on unsteady feet, for a moment Knox couldn't remember where in town he was, or the layout of the town for that matter. What came back to him for the moment were a small memory of a different many towns, and the clock tower of this one. The clock tower was the center of this town; he'd be able to navigate from there.

Turning to walk down his chosen path, it was only then that Knox realized how heavy he felt physically, and yet felt like so much more weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Heavy, yet light. Humans, full of contradictions. Lethargic? Sluggish. Laying down anywhere and just sleeping during the day seemed to hold much more promise.

Mindlessly staring over at the passing scene of an old man and his granddaughter, his mind's eye and actual vision were obscured and overlapped with a series of distant memories...an old man with his granddaughter, an old man with a young tavern wench, an old man with his daughter, an old man with a wife much too young for him, an-

Blinking in rapid succession with the vague images and memories passing through his head, Knox blinked slowly and just saw...an old man and a young girl. Strangers to him. He continued on his way, figuring the best place to stop and gather the thousands of years of thoughts and memories to be somewhere quiet and secluded; the forest.

XXX

The citizens of Storybrooke began to gather in small groups on the streets. The air was filled with cries of joy as one by one, they were reunited with the people lost to them; lost with their memories that had so suddenly come back to them. The small groups began to get larger, and soon it was safe to say that every single resident of Storybrooke was outside, either in the middle of a tear-jerking reunion or out looking for a relative or close friend they had yet to be reunited with.

The masses began migrating closer to the Clock Tower where they found their King and Queen and looked to them for leadership. Among all the mixed emotions put on each and every one of their faces, there was one emotion that all of them wore plainly in unison. Fear. Fear of what had brought them here, fear of what had caused them to lose their memories and live under false identities for five years, fear of not being back where they belonged in The Enchanted Forest, and of course fear of what the haze of thick purple smoke had brought _after_ their memories had been restored.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's get Regina!" Leroy shouted, voicing his opinion above all the other chatter in the growing crowd. His dark eyes happened on Mary Margaret; Snow, his best friend and Queen. He gave her a nod, a simple gesture of understanding; nothing had changed despite what Leroy may have done in Storybrooke, he would forever and always be loyal in the face of his Queen.

"We-we can't! Not without a plan." Archie answered Leroy, surprising himself in the courage he found in his own voice to be heard over the commotion.

Ruby pulled her attention from Snow and Charming to look on Dr. Hopper; Jiminy Cricket. She left her small group's side to bravely face the growing mob and put her hand on Dr. Hopper's shoulder.

"I'm going to need your help. These people are scared and confused, I can offer a sort of help finding lost loved ones if you would open up your office for any counseling these people may need. I can't help but to feel we were the lucky ones when our memories returned."

Dr. Hopper nodded and clutched onto the handle of his umbrella, looking for the courage he had displayed just moments ago. The two shared a soft smile before Ruby left with Archie, arm in arm. In the large thrall of things, Ruby hadn't even been alerted to the pointed scent of the one person she yearned to see; to talk to. Instead, Ruby missed the near seven-foot tall man as she hurried away to make preparations. There was only a moment when Ruby stalled, a portly gentleman brushing against her arm abruptly so quickly, Ruby only caught the backside of the man as he tilted his brown fedora down over his face a bit. Thinking nothing of it as the people of Storybrooke were all granted an instance or two of sheer rudeness, Ruby and Archie continued on.

The man in the fedora grimaced as he pushed past the waitress, his hand holding tight to the thin arm of Sister Charlotte, a nun under the pretenses of Storybrooke, but in actuality a mere child with eyes bursting with curiosity.

"Not so fast mister! I'm just as eager to get to the surprise as you are, but I don't wish to fall onto my face in the process." The dark-haired girl giggled.

"We must hurry Miss Alice! We cannot be late! Oh, my mistress will be so angry with me if I'm late." A quick look to the pocket watch previously tucked tightly into his breast pocket caused a moment of exclamation. "Oh dear! Oh my! We are late! So so so so late! Hurry Miss Alice, we must not keep my mistress waiting!" The man pulled Alice's arm with much urgency as they ducked out of the main streets of the town to head towards the woods. Sausage-like fingers popped the pocket watch back into his breast pocket and then to his trousers where he seemed to be urgently fishing for something.

Just as they were rounding the corner of the last building that would put them out of sight of the growing crowds, Alice's bright eyes happened on a face that made her heart grow light and threaten to fly out of her throat.

"EDRIC! OH EDRIC!" The girl stopped suddenly to wave at her older brother, elated tears threatening to slide down her fair cheeks. The older gentleman she was with, however, growled quietly and grabbed fast onto her arm again, pulling her back onto the course he had set out earlier.

XXX

Edric had become nearly overwhelmed with the sheer amount of people that seemed to swell around the clock tower, frantic voices and tearful reunions happening all around him. His head darted left and right, as there was merely one other person he was looking for amidst the congregation.

Starting to mix faces together after seeing so many gathered at once, a bright, loud voice seemed to call out his name, and he knew instantly who it belonged to.

"Alice?" He called out, swiveling sharply towards the direction the voice came from, just barely managing to catch a glimpse at his sibling on the skirts of the crowd, waving frantically at him.

A beaming smile began to form on his lips until he noticed the man holding onto her arm...the same man he so carelessly dismissed in the newspapers that Ruby first brought his attention to.

Without another word, he left Snow, Heather and Charming's side; beginning to push his way through the crowds to reach Alice, ducking and sidestepping with agility that even surprised him. He had waited so long for this moment, and _nothing_ was going to stand in his way.

It was almost overwhelming seeing all the familiar faces of the people she knew back in her kingdom, but when she felt Henry stiffen by her side she paused to give him her attention before he suddenly just walked off, in a hurried pursuit of something or someone. Confused, Mary Margaret followed Henry, wanting to protect one of the few people she knew that she could trust. She had thought that she had heard him calling a name; Alice, a girl she'd often heard him talk about when they had last been together, back when he was a cat, and she the rightful princess living in her father's castle.

"That witch has to pay, NOW! BEFORE she does anything else to us!"

Heather's posture stiffened, barely even registering that Edric was no longer at her side. She knew that voice, and she knew it well. Almost rolling her eyes, Heather muttered under her breath as she stepped towards the man so keen on riling up the crowd.

"Frankenstein..." The word went unheard as the crowd roared in agreement, and so she raised her own voice making sure to be heard. "Frankenstein! Victor Frankenstein!"

Dr. Whale turned to the familiar voice and he sneered.

"Ah. Jekyll...so _you're_ here."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Heather asked, ignoring the smug look on the doctors face. "Are you out of your mind?"

"We're about to make the witch who did this to us pay! _That's_ what we're doing!" Dr. Whale replied with a cheeky grin that only made Heather want to slap it right off of him.

"You're riling everyone into a frenzied panic! You're going to get them killed!"

Frankenstein let out a "Tch!" in annoyance at Jekyll's true point.

"And I'm supposed to listen to a sham of a scientist like you? You're just a woman, Jekyll! A foolish, sentimental woman who has no place in science!"

Heather grit her teeth in annoyance and stood still as the man led the crowd to get torches before heading for Regina's house, leaving Heather to swear quietly under her breath.

"God dammit!" She breathed through her nose, trying to calm herself down, and not give Hyde any reason to take over and cause trouble.

XXX

In his mind, there was a ruined tower in the middle of the forest. However, it wasn't the clock tower of the town's center, and Knox's mind had led his body astray. Stepping through the woods, unconsciously using a light step that didn't crunch leaves or snap twigs underfoot, his ears caught a peculiar sound-stepping back behind a tree, with a row of them aligned just right, a rounder middle aged man came into view.

From down the path, within his line of sight without Knox being in his, the rounder shape of the man came closer. A young, doe-eyed girl was being tugged along, a sad amount of naivety seemed to pour off her very person. Knox remained silent as he removed his sunglasses, though the girl became a certain kind girl of his past in his eyes, his sharp eyes had instead honed on the man's face.

Beady little eyes of- all the eyes of- beady eyes darting here and there suspicious. Eyes of a thief. In an instant, Knox wasn't in the present. His mind travelled back in time, no less than two thousand years ago...though the memory wasn't no longer full, without details missing here or there, he remembered the hunt.

Letting them pass without so much a word, so a breath, the tall man ducked around a bare tree and weaved through the low branches poking out from his left right and the spaces above. Feet were careful, cautious, and quick...within moments, neither seen nor heard, he stood ahead of them once more, among the tall trees. With the path of bared dirt leading down and around the tree he stood hidden behind, he waited for the man to approach, feet crunched more heavily on the leaves and broke twigs.

Coming up so close his tree he could hear the man's breathing, a thicker leg tried to step up over a protruding root of the nearest tree, and at the same time the round beady eyed man just about let go of the girl's hand. In an instant, Knox stuck a leg out and kicked the standing thick leg of the man out from under him.

The portly man didn't know what hit him. One moment he was huffing and puffing while receding deeper into the woods, and the next minute he was flat on his back, wheezing for breath and staring up to a rather imposing man who had caused him to lose his footing.

Stepping out of his hiding spot, Knox slowly tilted his head at the man, unblinkingly staring him down with a cold grimace.

"You have thieves' eyes, I should fix that."

The eyes of the larger man skipped over Knox to land on the girl, Alice, who had remained standing and watching the scene with a rather curious expression held in her deep eyes. With a small twitch of his nose, the man reached his sausage-like fingers back into his pocket where it had previously been before the fall, the object of which he was after now seeming to fall into his open palm rather than having to dig for it.

"Glad to oblige, really I am, but there is just one small thing keeping you from doing so." He said closing his hand around the tiny object he had procured from his pocket and with a movement quick for such a large gentleman, tossed the very object he had in his hand to his left. "I'm late."

The bean bounced a good foot or so before it embedded itself into the soft soil of the forest. Immediately the winds began to pick up and the surrounding dirt began to swirl, as if the very ground underneath it was giving way. Green light suddenly shot up from the earth, the dirt surrounding it crumbling down into a steadily growing gaping hole of magic. Alice took a couple tentative steps away from the swirling green vortex, raising her arms up to her eyes to shield them from the flying debris that was getting sucked into the hole.

XXX

Edric continued his frantic sprint through the crowds, just managing to break through when he caught glimpse of the back of Alice's head as she was being carried off by the round man.

Furrowing his eyebrows distrustfully, Edric hurried off into the woods; coming across the scene of the fat man lying on the ground, looking up at a (somewhat-senile) looking Knox whilst Alice stood off in the distance. Before he could say anything or react, something was thrown out of the portly man's hand, Edric unable to catch a glimpse of what it was before it buried itself into the soil.

Mary Margaret caught up to Edric rather quickly being so much lighter on her feet than he and used to running in the woods, and saw the puzzling scene. The security guard who claimed he was married to her was there, standing over an almost unconscious fat man. She didn't trust him very much to begin with, and this scene didn't reassure her.

The security guard's stare-down was broken, as his hair whipped around his face due to the pick-up of the wind. Eyes slowly moving away from the rotund man on the ground, the man's words rolling and rattling around in his head, and to the source of the bright green light cast upon the forest. His eyes watered from the painful light, but he didn't avert his gaze for a moment.

The entire environment seemed to shift around the small group, the trees swaying violently as green light erupted around them. Edric was forced to shield his face with his arm, eyes squinted as he struggled to make sense of what was going on, when suddenly, it hit him.

"A portal..." He said, too quiet to be heard amidst the chaos. Immediately, he struggled to make his way over to his sister, hoping to shield her, to keep her out of the portal's reach. Every step felt like a ton of bricks as it seemed that the forces of nature themselves were trying to pull Edric in.

"HOLD ON!" He cried out in Alice's direction, hoping she could hear him. Just as he raised his foot to take another step, a particularly violent gust of wind threw him off balance, sending him falling to the ground.

Glancing back down at the man, then at the green portal, then the tree Knox had previously been hiding behind he reached an arm out, grasping onto a particularly sturdy low-hanging branch. For a moment longer, holding onto the branch rather securely with no difficulties, the man remained silent.

"I'm glad we've gotten over this impasse."

With an impossible strength, Knox ripped the thick limb branch from the tree, swinging it down upon the portly man in a wide arch. The portly man, surprisingly was not harmed as he quickly rolled out of the way, unlike the others unafraid of what the blinding green vortex held for them. There was little time, however as the portal was due to close at any moment if no one jumped in. He was still a great lengths way from the portal himself, but Alice, she was teetering on the edge and looking into the flashes of green with wild interest.

Edric clawed for any bit of stability he could find, burying his hands deep within the dirt as he could feel himself slowly succumbing to the portal's infernal grip. He heard nothing but a ringing madness, the tearing gusts and the roaring of the portal filling his mind; leaving him hardly able to think of a solution. Blue eyes landing on Alice as she seemed to edge closer to the portal's edge, Edric could do little but watch.

"Alice, no!" He cried out, hoping he could grab her attention amidst the noise.

Scrunching up his nose in a rabbit-like fashion as it twitched, the large man raised his arm and let out a small shout as a pulse of what could be considered either wind, or even possibly magic, came from his right palm, being the quiet force that sent Alice toppling over the edge and into the green light. Looking content for the first time since he had arrived in Storybrooke, the man quickly bent down to retrieve his fallen fedora and placed it back onto his balding head. He quickly shot Edric a glance and taunting, crooked-toothed smile before making his way towards the portal himself and moved to make the jump.

Edric's head quickly shot between Knox and the round man as he struggled to keep himself hoisted, a slight relaxation of the fingers being enough to pull him towards the portal another good foot. Feeling his feet edge closer and closer to the whirlpool, Edric only had a few moments to see Alice fall in; her physical form seeming to dissipate away into the field. He didn't say anything, he couldn't - he had failed again. Why was it that every time something good happened, something worse came in to counterbalance it?

XXX

After most of the crowd left (and Faye's failed attempts to convince the crowd not to listen to Frankenstein), Heather looked around and finally noticed that Edric and Mary Margaret were missing. She called out loud,

"Edric...?"

A voice she knew all too well echoed in her mind in reply,

"_He's gone hunting for rabbit, Jekyll. You juuuust missed him._"

Heather thought to herself silently,

"_Which way did they go?_" The doctor felt her head jerk to the right, towards the direction where the forest was and she could hear Hyde sneer in response

"_That way. Better hurry, Jekyll!_" The last statement sounded foreboding, and Heather took off running in that direction, leaving some people behind to stare at her in a confused manner.

Heather ran as fast as she could through the woods, until she caught sight of a light and when she was close enough, she stopped and gasped as she saw what appeared to be a hole in the ground, shining with green light, and the wind that was coming from the hole was trying to take Edric, Mary Margaret, and Knox. She looked around quickly, trying to find something she could use to help them, but there was nothing. She tried to call to them over the cacophony,

"EDRIC!"

She wanted to move closer but Hyde stopped her, purring and taunting,

"_I would stay back if I were you. If you get too close, you'll be falling down the rabbit hole as well._" Heather swore under her breath, trying to figure out what she could do to help them, pleading with her mind for Hyde to let her go, to have full control over her body again.

Lifting the branch once again, stumbling a bit with the unknown force of the open portal, Knox looked sidelong at the round man getting up and recovering from his fall. Another much harder fight surfaced in his mind, letting it lead him the large branch was chucked off to the side before the finally outright launching himself at the man.

Putting the guy into a headlock, Knox stepped up with expectations of flat ground…his memory; the one at the very surface had solid dirt. Eyes widening almost comically as he stumbled and fell with the man towards the green lit portal, his mind finally gained the much needed clarity. No prey, no hunt, no justice, no ground...just one big, terrible mistake he'd made.

Edric cocked his head to the side, catching the fat man slowly get up to his feet and put his hat on before Knox pulled him into a headlock, the both of them falling into the portal together, unable to hear Heather's call for him over the roar of the portal practically at his feet. He had come too far now, too far to let his plans crumble around him. He abandoned his sister once - one time that he regretted for years afterward, and he wasn't going to make that same mistake twice.

With a deep, shaky breath, Edric let his eyes shut tightly before letting go of his anchor, feeling himself get sucked into the portal, where darkness surrounded his vision.

Mary Margaret watched in horror as first Knox fell in through the portal, and then Henry. There was no way that she was going to allow Henry to go after the girl on his own, and she wasn't able to offer much resistance against the portal anyway. She was further away than he was, but the portal still pulled her in before closing up completely, the ground looking untouched as if they, and the portal, were never there.

"No...NOOO!" Heather Jekyll was alone in the forest, a handful of people she had grown close to over the last five years gone with the blink of an eye. Only when the portal was sealed completely did Hyde let up on her hold and immediately heather hurried over to the spot she had seen them disappear under andstarted to dig at the ground desperately, never caring that she was blemishing her white doctor's coat with the earth.

"No! Nononononono! This can't be happening! GOD DAMMIT! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"

She soon gave up on digging but remained on her knees, tears pouring down her face, her breath ragged as she tried to keep herself from crying. She not only lost a friend that she made during her time in Storybrooke, but she lost Edric. Edric. The only person she knew well from her brief time in The Enchanted Forest, the only person that she could talk to.

"_This is why you should've let me take over, Jekyll. If I was in control now...dear Edric would still be with us._" Hyde taunted.

"Shut up! You would've only made things worse...!" Heather replied out loud. She and Hyde spoke no more to each other as Heather cried silently, holding her arms around herself to keep from falling over into the dirt completely.

She had lost him again.

**Author's Note:**

**Any guesses to who this mysterious fat man is? Yeah, I gave a ton of really big hints so…not really gonna be surprised if you know already but I had to ask haha. Well this brings book 1 to a close, I've already begun on book 2 but it is FAR from being finished so I probably won't start posting those chapters for another month or maybe even two, depending on the progress being made. That being said, since it's unfinished if there are any characters you guys want me to 'Oncify' please let me know, of if you have any ideas for the characters already put into the story then suggest away! I am not at all above ignoring my fans' suggestions!**

**In the meantime, I think I'm going to work on a completely new side-story relating to just that of Rumpelstiltskin and Belle, following the canon of the show rather than the backstory I created for her in this story. Keep a look out as it will be called 'Between the Lines' it's going to take a very different approach (I feel) and I haven't yet seen it done on here (or any other site for that matter) so hopefully it will be a first and it will be great.**

**Thank you all for your support! I have greatly enjoyed writing this up and am happy to say that we are far, far away from a closing resolution to the entirety of this series!**

**Happy reading Oncers!**


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